In a Blaze of Green Glory
by Robert Teague
Summary: 1st in the Green Glory series. Dr. Drakken fires Shego when she develops a serious medical condition, and she finds there is only one person she can turn to...
1. Chapter 1

In a Blaze of Green Glory

by Robert Teague

This story is written solely for the entertainment of Kim Possible fans, and no copyright infringment is intended. This story may be reproduced, provided no changes are made, and you let me know.

Author's Note 5 May 2011: I recently noticed the posted story is corrupted in places and dialog missing. I've done some editing to correct it.

Chapter 1

It was late one evening when Shego returned to Drakken's lair. She had successfully infiltrated a large corporation's research facility, and stolen information Drakke considered vital for his next take-over-the-world plot.

"Ah, home at last. Did you get it?" asked Drakken.

"Sure did. Here," she replied, handing him five CDs in their cases.

"Good, good!" he said, grabbing them. He immediately put one in a desktop's CD player, and began perusing the list of files that appeared.

She stood there, waiting, but Drakken was immersed in the files, and paid her no further attention.

"Well," she finally said in a loud voice, "Those fifteen guards I fought gave me some real trouble. I'm tired and going to bed."

"Fine, whatever," said Drakken, irritation plain in his voice. He never looked away from the file he was reading.

Shego sighed, shook her head, and headed for her own quarters.

kpkpkp

Once alone in her room, she took a couple of Aleve, and a long, hot, soaking bath. She changed into her normal sleepwear; panties and an extra large t-shirt. She rolled her hair up into curlers and slipped into bed.

She picked up her current book; Tolkien's _The Silmarillion_, intending to read a chapter, but she kept yawning, so finally took the hint and put it down.

She turned off the light, and snuggled in, closing her eyes.

Five minutes later, she opened them again. Where was that light coming from? She liked to sleep with the room dark, but there was a soft light disturbing her.

She sat up and looked around. It seemed to be everywhere... a green light...

She caught her reflection in the full-length mirror on the opposite wall. It was HER! The glow was coming from her! She got up and stepped over to the mirror. Sure enough, she was the source. It was radiating from her entire body!

She concentrated, and the light disappeared.

"Strange," she thought, "I must really be tired to lose control like that..."

She climbed back into bed, and a few minutes later, was fast asleep.

A minute after that, the glow returned.

kpkpkp

The next morning, the glow was forgotten as Shego went through her morning exercises. The Aleve had done its job, and the pains from yesterday's fights were gone. She worked up a sweat, and took a quick shower before dressing in her normal green and black jumpsuit. Then she went to the small cafeteria for breakfast.

Drakken was still reading files from the CDs, so Shego found herself with little to do. She sat and watched the security cameras for a while, filing her nails as she did so, legs propped up on the edge of the console.

She felt restless for some reason, so finally went down to the gym to burn off some energy.

A couple of hours of rigorous training and exercises later, she was tired, but still felt restless, so went back to her room to meditate.

After a few minutes of quiet, she realized what the problem was; not all of the pain was gone. There was a nagging... ache... deep inside her chest. She stood and stretched, trying to pinpoint where it was. It wasn't muscle, it was deeper.

"Hmmm..." she thought, "Well, that one guard did get in a lucky shot, nailing me in the chest with a fist the size of a ham. Maybe he jarred something. Oh well, if it doesn't go away in a few days, I'll go to the doctor."

kpkpkp

Five days later, the ache was still there, still the same.

It took some persuading for Drakken to allow her to go to the doctor; he was cheap when it came to insurance. She took the hovercar and left for the small town some twenty miles north of the lair.

Six hours later, she returned.

Drakken was in his office, still reading files, but heard her come in.

"Finally back, eh?" he said, "So, what did it turn out to be?"

There was no answer.

He swivelled in his chair, and looked at her. "I said..." his voice trailed off when he saw her face.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Three weeks later was a Saturday afternoon at the Possible home.

The Doctors Possible, Jim, Tim, Kim, Ron and Rufus were in the family room, watching "The Fearless Ferret" on TV Trash Heap. During commercials, Ron had everyone in stitches telling of his adventures as the Ferret 2.0.

As the closing credits played, there was a hesitant knock at the door.

"I'll get it," said Mr. Dr. Possible, getting up and going to the door.

On the porch he found a young woman with very pale, slightly green skin, long black hair and intensely green eyes.

"Can I help you?" he asked.

"Is- is Kimmie, uh, Kim here?" she asked.

"Yes, she is," replied Mr. Possible. His eyes narrowed. "You look familiar. Say, aren't you Drew's assistant?"

"I was," she replied, voice bitter.

"Well, we don't want any evil here," he said, starting to close the door.

"Please! I really have to talk to Kim! It's very important!" she said, desperation in her voice.

"Well..." he said, hesitating.

"Please..." she said.

"All right," he said, relenting and opening the door, "But I warn you, I'll tolerate no villainy in this house!"

Shego nodded. "I understand." She stepped inside.

She followed Mr. Possible to the family room.

"Kim, you have a visitor," he said, and moved aside.

"SHEGO!" Kim yelled, and jumped to her feet. She took a defensive position.

Rufus dived for Ron's pocket, while Jim, Tim, and Mrs. Possible stood up.

"Wow!" said Tim, "A real supervillian..."

"In our living room!" finished Jim.

"Cool!" they said together.

"What do you want, Shego?" asked Kim, her voice a growl.

Shego held up her hands. "I'm not looking for a fight, Kim. I need to talk to you."

It suddenly dawned on Kim that Shego wasn't wearing her usual jumpsuit. Instead, she was wearing jeans, sneakers, and a white t-shirt with, of all things, Rainbow Brite on it.

"Well, that's different, anyway," said Kim, relaxing slightly.

"Uh, Shego?" said Ron, staring at her, "Rainbow Brite?"

Shego shrugged. "I loved it when I was little."

"You wanted to talk, so talk," said Kim.

Two sets of emerald green eyes locked for a long minute. Kim noticed that the fire always so visible in her enemy's eyes was gone, replaced by... what? Shego broke first and looked down.

"This was a mistake. I shouldn't have come here. You hate me too much to listen. I'll go," said Shego, and turned toward the door.

She had taken two steps when suddenly she felt a hand on her shoulder. Her instincts told her to lash out, to destroy the attacker, but her control was better than that. The touch was gentle; there was no attack in it. She stopped.

"Wait," said Mrs. Possible from just behind her, "This is obviously important to you. Please stay and tell us."

"Yes, please," added Mr. Possible.

"Yeah," added Jim and Tim.

"I want to hear," said Ron.

"Uh huh, uh huh!" said Rufus, peeking from Ron's pocket.

Kim said nothing.

Shego shook her head. "The one I need to talk to doesn't want to hear it," she said.

"Kim..." said Mrs. Possible.

Kim stood up from her defensive position. "Okay, okay, we'll talk..."

Shego turned back to the living room.

"...but it will be on MY terms," she finished. She turned to Ron and whispered something to him.

"On it, KP," he replied. He ran from the room, giving Shego a wide berth as he did, and disappeared up the stairs to Kim's room. A few seconds later he reappeared. "Here, Kim!" he said, and tossed her a set of handcuffs.

Shego's eyes widened, and, for just a moment, Kim saw the fire rekindled in them. Then it was gone again. Shego meekly held out her hands.

"No," said Kim, "Behind you."

"If I do this, will you listen?" asked Shego.

"Yes, she will," said Mrs. Possible forcefully, looking at Kim.

"Yes, I promise," said Kim.

Shego turned away, and offered her wrists behind her back.

Kim opened the cuffs, and warily approached Shego. She motioned her mom to step away, and with a nod, Mrs. Possible did. Kim deliberately touched Shego with the cuffs, and she flinched with the sudden cold metal against her bare skin. But she made no effort to avoid them. Kim held them against her for a few seconds, then pulled them away.

"No, I'm not going to cuff you," she said.

Shego looked over her shoulder at Kim, puzzlement on her face.

"If you're willing to let me do it, I'm willing to listen," said Kim.

Shego turned to her. "Thanks..." she said, almost a whisper.

"Come sit down," said Mrs. Possible, "Can I get you something to drink?"

"A glass of water would be nice," said Shego, as she sat on the couch. Kim sat down beside her, Ron behind Kim, Jim and Tim sat on the floor, and Mr. Possible sat back in his chair. Rufus crawled out of Ron's pocket, and turned off the TV.

Shego took a long drink of ice water, and with a sigh put the glass down. She looked around at them all, but said nothing.

The silence grew, and finally Mrs. Possible said, "Take your time, dear, we're all listening."

Shego looked down at her feet, and in a voice barely audible, said, "I have terminal cancer. I'm not expected to live more than another four or five months."


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Kim gasped, and put her hand over her mouth. Ron's jaw dropped. Rufus pretended to fall over in a dead faint. Jim and Tim looked at each other, but said nothing. Mr. Possible looked surprised, then his face went neutral. Mrs. Possible remained stoic.

Shego turned to Kim. "And that's what I came to tell you. After all these years, all those fights, all the times I tried to kill you, you've finally won. Forever. We will never fight again."

"Uh..." said Ron, finding his voice, "What kind of cancer do you have?"

Shego snorted. "The easier question to answer is, 'what kind of cancer do I NOT have?'".

With anger in her voice, Kim asked, "Did Drakken do this to you?"

"No. He fired me when I told him. He said I was useless, now. Then he called the other villains and told them, and now no one will hire me," she answered, taking a drink of water. There was a bitter edge to her voice.

"Well, do you know how you got it?" asked Ron, scooting a bit closer to the edge of the couch, so he could see Shego better.

"Oh, yes, I know exactly how I got it," said Shego, softly. She raised her right hand, and green and black flames burst out around it.

Although they had all seen Shego's power before, it still startled Kim's parents and brothers. Jim and Tim started whispering to each other.

"You - your POWER gave you cancer?" said Kim, eyes wide, "Well, what about-"

"My brothers?" Shego finished for her. "You know how I feel about them, but the GO Tower was the first place I went after I moved out of Drakken's." She sighed and turned off the flames. "I guess family is one tie even the worst evil can't break.

They all had tests done, and they're clean. I'm the only one with it."

"Shego, I'm... I'm really sorry..." said Kim. She started to put her hand on the other girl's shoulder, but refrained at the last second. This fragile truce was holding, but it wasn't wise to push it, regardless of what Shego had said earlier.

Shego nodded, and finished off her water. She stood up, and everyone else did as well.

"What are you going to do?" asked Kim.

Shego shrugged. "I dunno. I've seen everyone I wanted to see. I have nowhere to go, and the rest of my life to get there." She turned to go.

Mrs. Possible caught Kim's eye. She gave Kim a questioning look, and a moment later, Kim nodded once.

"Shego," said Mrs. Possible, "I'm a medical doctor. Do you have your medical records handy? Would you mind if I looked at them?"

Shego shrugged. "Not at all. They're outside, in my bags."

"We'll get them!" said the twins in unison.

Shego raised an eyebrow, but said, "Ooookay... unzip the top zipper on the green bag. The records are right on top."

"On it!" they said, and rushed to the door. Less than a minute later, they were back, each carrying a thick envelope. They handed them to their mother, who opened one and started pulling out papers.

"I'm curious," said Mr. Possible, approaching. "What does your superpower do?"

"Several things," answered Shego, "It can act like acid, it can repel objects, and I can heat it to several thousand degrees." She fired up her hands. "Like a demonstration?"

"Uh, no thanks, not now. But maybe later," he answered. He left the room with a thoughtful expression. Jim and Tim followed, whispering together.

Shego powered down her hands and turned to Kim. "Is he always like that?"

Kim smiled. "Usually," she answered.

"Shego," said Mrs. Possible, "It's going to take a while for me go through these. Mind if I keep them for a few days?"

"Nope. I don't need them," she answered.

"I would also like to have you around. I see there are several tests your other doctor didn't do," Mrs. Possible added, holding up several leaves with a green tint.

Shego thought for a moment. "Okay. I'll go check into a motel. I'll call when I get settled."

"I would prefer you stay here, with us, so I can keep an eye on your condition," replied Mrs. Possible.

"MOH-THER!" cried Kim in surprise.

"What is it, dear?" said Mrs. Possible, mildly.

Kim pointed at Shego. "She's my worst enemy!"

Shego shook her head. "Not any more, Kimmy. Nobody's paying me to kick your butt now."

"As if," answered Kim, "But-"

"Kim," interrupted Ron, "You're all about helping people. I never thought I'd say this, but Shego is a people too, and she needs help. In the worst way."

"Thanks for the backhanded support, Stoppable," said Shego, sardonicly.

"Any time," replied Ron, but he was smiling.

"Then it's settled," said Mrs. Possible, firmly, "She'll stay here with us. Kim, would you and Ron go get her bags? I'll show her to the guest room."

The two women left the room, and Kim put her hands over her eyes, and shook her head. "This is SO wrong..." she muttered.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Up in her room that evening, Kim pulled out the Kimmunicator and called Wade.

"Wade, Shego has cancer, and will be staying with us for a while. But I'm still worried about what she might do."

"Cancer?" asked Wade, "Tell her I'm sorry to hear it."

"I will. Her doctor said she has about five months," said Kim.

"Ouch. That IS bad. What do you want me to do?" asked the boy supergenius.

"Set up the monitoring system so it will alert me if she leaves the guest room," answered Kim.

"Not a problem, Kim," said Wade, tapping on keys. "I guess your mom is going to try and help her?"

"Yeah. I know she's my nemesis, but I wouldn't wish that on anybody. I hope Mom will be able to do something," said Kim.

"Me too. Okay, it's set. Just leave the Kimmunicator where you can hear it when you go to bed," said Wade.

"Thanks, Wade, you rock hard," said Kim, grinning.

"Any time. 'night!" said Wade, and the screen went dark.

kpkpkp

At three in the morning, Kim was awakened by a steady beep-beep-beep. It took her a few seconds to realize the significance of it, then was awake and out of bed.

Quietly she crept downstairs and looked down the dark corridor, lit only by a nightlight. An obviously female form was walking along toward her. Suddenly Shego stopped and turned into a room. The door closed and the light came on. A couple of minutes later, the toilet flushed. The door opened and Shego stepped out, holding a cup of water.

Shego turned off the light, and turned back toward the guest room. Then she stopped, and looked over her shoulder. "It's open, Kimmie," she said with a smirk, and went back to her room.

kpkpkp

The next morning, Kim stumbled into the kitchen, still half-asleep, to find Shego sitting at the table, dressed in a green blouse and black pants. A glass of water sat in front of her.

"Uh... morning..." ventured Kim.

Shego grunted in reply, and took a drink of water.

Kim got a glass, and poured herself some orange juice. "Want some?" she asked, indicating the carton.

Shego shook her head. "Your mom wants to take me to the hospital and examine me this morning, and asked me to fast, and not do my exercises yet."

"I see," answered Kim.

"Speaking of that, is there someplace around here I can work out?" asked Shego.

"Oh, sure, I have a small gym in the basement," was the answer.

"That works," said Shego, and lapsed into silence.

Kim put away the carton, and stood still for a few seconds. She seemed to come to a decision, and sat down at the table, across from Shego.

"Can we talk?" she asked.

Shego eyed her. "Isn't that what you're doing?"

Kim sighed. "Without the banter and insults."

Shego shrugged. "Sure. I'm not up to it, anyway."

"Good," said Kim, taking a drink, "First of all, I'm really surprised you would accept help from me and my family."

Shego smiled. "Yeah, I guess that would be a bit difficult to understand. Well the truth is, I have nothing to lose, and maybe something to gain. At this point, I'll accept help from anybody who holds out the least bit of hope."

"Okay, I can understand that," said Kim, thoughtfully.

"Good," was the answer, and Shego took a drink of water.

"But I still don't want you doing anything evil while you're here," said Kim, forcefully.

"Kim, I've given up evil," answered Shego.

"Just like that?" said Kim, with a snap of her fingers. She looked skeptical.

"Just like that," answered Shego, snapping her fingers in turn. "When I was told the cancer was terminal, I took some time and thought about my life. I love being evil. I enjoy the thrill of being a thief. I like having nice things. I prefer living my life the way I want to, without needing anyone except on my terms."

She looked at her glass of water, now half-empty. "And what has it gotten me? There's no point in stealing any more; nice things won't save my life. I have a family I can't stand for more than five minutes; all the people I know are villains, and they are no help. They won't have anything to do with me. I have no friends..."

She looked up at Kim, and Kim could have sworn she saw tears in the ex-villianess' eyes. "And now, even the company of my worst enemy is better than no company at all."

"Shego..." said Kim.

Just at that moment, Mrs. Possible came in. "You ready to go?" she asked.

Shego stood up. "Yeah, let's do this."

"Should I come with?" asked Kim.

"It's going to take all day, and you'll just be bored," said Mrs. Possible.

"Still don't trust me, Kimmie?" asked Shego.

Kim opened her mouth to snap back a retort, but let it close. She just shook her head.

Shego snorted, and followed Mrs. Possible out of the room.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

A week later, Mrs. Possible came home early from the hospital. She found Kim and Shego in the living room, playing backgammon. Ron and Rufus were watching the TV. She cleared her throat, and they glanced at her before returning to the game.

"Hi, Mom," said Kim, making a play.

"I need to interrupt for a few minutes," said Mrs. Possible.

The game was instantly abandoned, and all eyes turned to her. Ron turned off the TV.

"Shego, here's that itemized statement you wanted," said Mrs. Possible, handing her several sheets of paper.

Shego quickly read through them, then glanced at the bottom line. Without blinking, she pulled a checkbook from her back pocket, and wrote out a check for that amount. She ripped it out, and handed it to Kim's mom.

Mrs. Possible folded it and put it away without looking at it. "Did you really want to do that?" she asked.

"I told you I wouldn't be a charity case. I have money, and not much to spend it on," was the reply.

"Money from where?" asked Kim.

Shego glanced at her. "It's not stolen, if that's what you mean. I made several careful investments that have paid off."

Kim nodded. "As long as it's legitimate," she said.

"Thank you," said Mrs. Possible. "Now, as to the other subject..." she paused, looking at her daughter. "Kim, would you and Ron please leave the room for a few minutes?"

"No," said Shego, "I want them both to hear."

"Okay, then," said Mrs. Possible, "Your doctor was right, even to the estimated time you have left." She looked down. "There's nothing to be done, other than controlling the pain. I'm sorry."

Shego gazed into Mrs. Possible's eyes for a long moment, then nodded. She stood up and left the room. A few seconds later, they heard the sound of the door to the basement open and close.

"Should we go after her?" asked Ron.

"I'd wait a while, then go check," said Mrs. Possible, "She needs a little time."

"What's going to happen now?" asked Kim.

Mrs. Possible hesitated, then said, "I'd like to have her stay. She shouldn't be by herself for very long. Do you object, Kim?"

"No," she said, and turned to her best friend, "Ron, you were right. Helping Shego is the right thing to do."

"Yeah. Even though it's Shego, it still felt right," he answered. Rufus nodded, and made a noise of agreement.

Mrs. Possible came over and hugged her daughter. "I'm very proud of both of you. She's your enemy, but you opened your hearts to her anyway. It takes a very good person to do that."

"No big, Mom," said Kim, and Ron blushed.

For a minute they listened to the sounds of Shego working out, faint but clear.

"Is it just me, or has she changed a lot?" asked Ron.

Kim nodded. "I think she's changed too," she said.

"Well, it's understandable, considering what she's having to cope with," said Mrs. Possible, "There are many documented cases where someone who goes through major surgery has a personality change."

"And in this case, it seems to be for the better," added Kim.

"Well, I don't know her like you two do, but she's been nice to me," said Mrs. Possible.

"The only thing is..." said Kim, hesitating for a moment, "I looked into her eyes when she first came here. They were so dark, and empty. They used to be filled with fire. It breaks my heart to know nothing can be done for her."

"Mine too," said Ron, and Rufus made a noise of agreement.

Mrs. Possible went off to another room, while Kim and Ron turned on the TV again. The sounds of Shego working out continued non-stop.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Two hours later, Shego was still working out. Ron had long since gone home, saying just listening to it made him tired.

Kim decided it was time to check on her. She got a bottle of Gatorade from the fridge, and went downstairs.

Shego was standing in front of the large, sand-filled punching bag, throwing kicks and chops at it. She was wearing gym shorts and a tee-shirt, both of which were plastered to her body from sweat. Her hair was matted and hung in tangles, while sweat poured down her face.

Kim stepped nearer, and Shego caught sight of her. Kim offered the bottle, and Shego stepped back from the punching bag. She took the bottle and downed it in one long drink.

"Thanks..." she said, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand.

"Are you okay?" asked Kim.

Shego tossed the empty bottle into the trash. "Suuure, I'm fiiiine. Why wouldn't I be? I've only just been told I have no chance of seeing my next birthday. But as you say, no big."

She sat down on a bench, and wiped her face with a towel. "Let me guess why you're here. You want to tell me the tests are done and my fate is sealed, so I need to get out and die in the gutter where I belong."

"So not," said Kim, eyes widening.

"Well, don't worry, I'll be gone tomorrow," said Shego.

"Mom wants you to stay," said Kim.

"I guess she would. Another lab rat for science," replied Shego, tossing down the towel.

"I... I want you to stay too," said Kim, looking down.

"Of course you do. You want to watch your greatest enemy wither away to nothing," said Shego, with both anger and bitterness.

"That's not..." said Kim.

"I am going to have one victory over you. I'm going to deny you that pleasure," said Shego.

"But-" said Kim.

"Who would have thought? The great 'I-can-do-anything' Kim Possible not only gets the last laugh over Shego, she wants to watch her slowly die," interrupted the older girl, "That's worthy of me."

"That. is. so. not. true." said Kim, forcefully.

"Then what is the truth? What do you want?" asked Shego, and once again, Kim thought she saw tears. "I know perfectly well how much you hate me."

"I have never hated you. You've made me angry. You've scared me. Heck, a few times you've even made me laugh. But I never hated you. I fought you because you were doing something evil. That's the only reason," said Kim.

Shego made no answer, but sat still, listening.

"Remember the few times we fought together? Didn't you ever notice how well we worked together without even thinking about it?" asked Kim.

Shego nodded.

"I've always thought that if we weren't on opposite sides, we would make an incredible team," continued Kim. "I guess it's too late for that, now. But look at me, and listen."

Shego turned her head, and Kim caught a glimpse of emerald eyes looking at her between strands of thick, black hair.

"I want to help you. I want to be there for you. You don't have to go through this alone, and I don't want you to. And if you've truely given up evil, I want to be your friend," said Kim, quietly.

Shego looked down, but said nothing.

Kim stood and looked at her for fifteen or twenty seconds, but there was no response. With a sigh, Kim turned to go back upstairs. Quick as a striking snake, Shego's hand lashed out and grabbed Kim by the forearm.

"I- I'm scared, Kim," said Shego, "No, I'm terrified. I've wiggled out of some really tight spots in my day, but there's no avoiding this. I don't want to be in pain. I don't want to die."

She let go of Kim, and hugged herself. "And I don't want to be alone."

Kim turned and took Shego's hands, pulling her to stand up. Despite Shego's sweat-drenched clothes and body, Kim hugged her, tightly.

"You won't be alone," Kim murmurred softly, "I promise."

For the first time in years, Shego cried.

It took her some time to calm down, and Kim finally released the other girl from the comforting hug.

"You need a shower," said Kim, "And now, so do I."

"Thanks for the reminder," said Shego, an annoyed look on her face.

Kim turned toward the stairs.

"Kim... I... don't..." said Shego.

Kim turned just in time to see her eyes roll up, and her body go limp. Kim just managed to catch her before her head hit the floor.

"MOM!" screamed Kim, "HELP! NOW!"

Five seconds later, Mrs. Possible appeared. "What is... oh. I've been expecting this," she said coming over and kneeling beside Kim.

Jim and Tim came in. "What's going on?" asked Jim.

"We heard Kim yell," said Tim.

"Boys, go get my medical bag," said Mrs. Possible, "Quickly!"

"Okay, Mom," said the twins, and were gone. They were back in less than fifteen seconds.

A brief examination later, Mrs. Possible said, "She'll recover. Let's get her to bed."

"What happened, Mom?" asked Kim.

"As the cancer advances, she gets weaker. She'll be having good days and bad days from now on, and the bad days will get longer as time passes. Actually, I'm surprised it hasn't happened long before now. I guess it's because of her genetics, or that she keeps herself so fit," said Mrs. Possible, lifting Shego with Kim's help.

Kim pondered as they took Shego back to the guest room, and laid her down on the bed. They covered her with the blankets, and Mrs. Possible left. Kim stood and looked down on her former enemy for a few minutes. Shego seemed to be breathing okay.

Kim turned to leave when a voice stopped her.

"Kim..." said Shego.

"I'm here," was the reply.

"Now's your big chance," said Shego, barely above a whisper.

Kim looked puzzled. "Big chance for what?"

"Revenge. I'm so weak, talking is an effort. You can do whatever you want to me, and I can't even yell for help," was the answer, emerald green eyes staring at the teen heroine.

"I'm not wired that way, and you know it," said Kim.

"Not taking advantage of an enemy's weakness is foolish," said Shego, her eyes never leaving Kim's.

"That's true," said Kim. She reached toward Shego, and the pale girl flinched. But Kim merely brushed the black hair away from Shego's face. "But you aren't an enemy."

Shego's face was unreadable.

"Get some sleep. I'll check on you later," said Kim, and went to the door. She glanced back, and saw Shego had closed her eyes.

Kim went back to her room, and grabbed the Kimmunicator.

"Hi, Kim, what's up?" asked Wade.

"I need you to do something for me," answered Kim.

"Sure," was the reply, Wade's fingers over the keyboard, waiting.

"I want you to put a notice on the website that Team Possible is unavailable until further notice," said Kim.

Wade's jaw dropped. "Are-are you sure?" he asked, eyes wide.

Kim nodded. "Very. This sitch with Shego is going to take precedence."

Wade shrugged. "It's your call..." he said, typing.

"Thank you," said Kim.

Wade looked at her. "About Shego. If there is anything I can do..."

Kim smiled. "Thanks, Wade. I'll keep in touch."

Wade signed off, and Kim sighed. "Well, that's some pressure off..." she said.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

A month passed slowly.

Gradually, Shego dropped her guard around Kim and her family, even going so far as to cooperate with the Tweebs when they wanted to do some tests on her powers.

She saw Ron having trouble with homework, and tutored him. Being still a bit afraid of Shego, Ron paid more attention to what he was being shown, and actually started to understand and be able to do it by himself.

When she thought no one was looking, she played with Rufus.

When bad days came along, she lay in bed. Kim kept her company, and they talked for hours. Shego had Kim in hysterics, telling her about some of Drakken's wilder plans for world conquest she had spiked before they got off the ground.

In her turn, Kim told Shego about her life and problems, particularly Bonnie.

"You do realize you're hurting the cheer squad," said Shego.

"What do you mean?" asked Kim, puzzled.

"Do you consider Bonnie to be a good cheerleader?" asked Shego.

"Yes, she's one of the very best," answered Kim, "When she puts her mind to it."

"Then why don't you listen to her when she has a suggestion? Is it because it's a bad suggestion, or because it's Bonnie making it?" questioned the older girl, and took a drink of water.

"Well, it's..." said Kim, and stopped, suddenly unsure of herself.

"Do you listen when other cheerleaders have an idea?" said Shego.

"That rarely happens," said Kim.

"Beside the point. Do you listen, and put it to use if it's good?" asked Shego, relentlessly.

"Well... yeah, I do..." said Kim.

"Then why are Bonnie's ideas any different?" Shego cocked her head at Kim.

"It's the way she makes them," said Kim, defensively, "Like they are soooo obvious to everyone but me."

"In other words, a personality clash," said Shego.

"I... I guess..." said Kim, thoughtfully.

"Then next time, try swallowing that 'I-can-do-anything' pride, and listen to her. Just because you can do anything, doesn't mean you have to do everything. Others can be competent too," said Shego.

"I know, I know, it's just..." started Kim.

Shego narrowed her eyes at Kim, cutting her off. "Think about it."

Kim fell silent and looked down, thinking. They sat still for several minutes. Finally, Kim looked at her.

"You're right. I AM hurting the squad. I'll apologize tomorrow..." said Kim.

"Up pup pup! I didn't say 'apologize', I said 'listen to her'," said Shego, with an evil grin, "It will freak her out more if you just start doing it."

Kim grinned back. "You ARE evil," she said.

"I do what I can," said Shego.

"Thanks," said Kim. She reached over and put her hand on top of Shego's.

"Sure. Any more world-shaking problems I can solve for you?" asked Shego. She took Kim's hand in her own.

They looked at each other, and at that moment realized they had become friends.

kpkpkp

When Shego felt good, she and Kim spent time exercising, training, and sparring. They managed to get Ron involved, and he did pick up some of it.

Shego landed hard in the sand, where Kim had just kicked her. They were in the Possible back yard, where a training ground of sorts had been prepared. Kim stepped over and offered her a hand. It was accepted, and they went over to the bench.

"Well, I never would have believed it, but now I do," said Shego, sitting down and wiping her face with a towel.

"What's that?" asked Kim, taking a drink of Gatorade.

"We fought each other for years. I'm a little stronger than you, and you're a little faster than me. But in martial arts knowledge, skills, and technique, we're even. I have the advantage of my glow, and yet somehow you still manage to either beat me, or fight me to a standstill, where I have to withdraw. I've always wondered why, and now I know. Your edge is your cheerleading skills. You can do moves no master ever dreamed of." Shego smiled. "It's too bad I just learned this. I could have compensated had I known before."

"You knew I was a cheerleader," said Kim, wiping her face.

"Yeah, but it never occurred to me to connect that with your fighting," said Shego.

"Can't think of everything, I guess," said Kim, "Another round?"

Shego hesitated. She started to get up, then sat back down. "I want to, but..."

"That's fine. Let's go in. I bet lunch is ready by now," said Kim. She turned and walked toward the house. She had deliberately not mentioned Shego's sudden weakness, nor offered to help. She respected her friend's desire to be as independent as she could be, for as long as she could be.

kpkpkp

After clean up and lunch, they went to Kim's room and sat down at a small table. Shego had been teaching Kim chess for the last week, and Kim was fascinated with the game.

"Okay, the current tally is... me, eighteen games, you none, one draw. Ready to get your butt kicked again?" said Shego, with a feral smile.

"You just wait," said Kim, "I'll be king of this game yet."

Shego got a sour look. "Bad puns like that don't win games. Do it again, and I'll crown you."

"When did we switch to checkers?" asked Kim, with an innocent look.

Shego chased her down the stairs, and out the front door.

kpkpkp

Several days later, Mrs. Possible came in from work, and sought out Shego. She found her, Ron, Kim, and Rufus watching TV.

"Shego, I have some good news for you," she said.

The TV was instantly off, and all eyes were on the doctor.

"The latest results came back today, and the cancer has slowed down its rate of spread. If this trend holds up, you might go into remission next month. That's a very big 'if', though." she said.

"Thanks," said Shego.

"Any idea why, Mrs. Dr. P?" asked Ron.

Mrs. Possible shook her head. "Not a clue. But it is encouraging. Shego, I wish you'd change your mind about some of the therapies we've offered."

Shego shook her head. "Sorry, Doc, that's not for me."

"How is the pain?" she asked.

"Tolerable," Shego replied, and at Mrs. Possible's look, added, "Yes, I'm taking the pain pills when I need them."

"Good. Don't be hard headed about it. You don't have to prove anything to me, or anybody else," said Mrs. Possible.

"I know, I know," said Shego. Then she looked at Kim, Ron, and Mrs. Possible. "It's just that... I've been so independent for so long... accepting help is difficult. Especially from people who used to be my enemies."

"We understand, Shego, and we're trying to accomodate your feelings. But I AM your doctor, and you WILL do what I say," said Mrs. Possible.

Shego got an angry look, and said "Don't tell me what to-" she bit off the rest. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean that. I'm doing my best to cooperate, but it's so hard. The idea of people caring about me for reasons other than my abilities is strange to me, like I can't quite believe it."

"Don't worry about it," said Kim, and squeezed her shoulder gently. "We are your friends, and we're here for you."

"Thanks, Kim. I hope I'll be able to show my gratitude someday," was the answer.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

The next Saturday morning, the Kimmunicator beeped. Kim picked it up.

"What up, Wade?" she asked.

"I know you don't want any missions for the time being, but I thought you might make an exception for this one," he answered.

"Well, what is it?" said Kim.

"It's Drakken. He's up to something, apparently pretty big. I've found him on an island in the Pacific. It's a dormant volcano, but since he's been there, seismic activity in the area has increased dramatically," answered Wade.

"Hm. Sounds like something we SHOULD check out. Can you get us a ride?" asked Kim.

"It'll be there in forty-five minutes," said Wade.

"You were pretty confident we'd take it, weren't you?" asked Kim, and the boy genius grinned and signed off.

She changed into her mission clothes and went downstairs. Shego was in front of the TV, watching an exercise program. She was still in her bathrobe, and drinking a cup of coffee.

"Got a mission," said Kim, "Want to come along?"

Shego looked at her. "I don't work for free, Kim."

"I thought you gave up evil," said Kim.

"Nothing to do with evil, everything with economics. I work for hire," said Shego.

"It's Drakken..." said Kim.

Shego shrugged, eyes on the TV.

"Oookay... then how much do-" began Kim.

Shego glared at Kim, the look telling her in no uncertain terms not to finish that question.

Kim thought about it for a minute, then smiled. "I'll pay you what I can afford."

"And that would be...?" asked the older girl.

Kim pulled her wallet from her cargo pants and looked in it. "Uh, twenty dollars."

For a second, Kim thought Shego would either explode or fall over laughing. Instead, she gave a wide grin. "Agreed!" She turned off the TV and stood up. "What's going on, boss?"

Kim paused. THAT felt wierd. "Get dressed and ready to go. I need to call Ron. Our ride will be here in forty minutes. We'll be briefed on the way." She handed Shego the twenty.

"You got it," said Shego, and headed for the guest room, folding the bill in her hand.

Just then Mrs. Possible came in. "Did I hear right? She's going with you on a mission?"

"Yeah, Mom, Drakken is up to something," Kim answered.

Mrs. Possible sighed. "I wish she wouldn't do this, but one thing I have learned about her is that once her mind is made up, nothing stops her."

Kim grinned. "How well I know!"

"Take these with you, just in case," her mom said, handing Kim a small plastic box with four pills in it. "The white ones are for pain, the blue ones in case she gets weak."

"White ones for pain, blue ones for weakness. Thanks, Mom," said Kim, hugging her. Then she put the box in her utility belt.

Hours later found Kim, Ron, Rufus, and Shego on a cargo plane over the Pacific Ocean. Ron was asleep, as was Rufus in his pocket. Kim and Shego were talking in low voices.

"So the only benefit you get for what you do is a free ride to your destination?" asked Shego.

"That's right," answered Kim.

Shego shook her head. "When we get back, you and I are going to have a long talk about that."

"Let me ask you something," said Kim, changing the subject, "If your services are so expensive, why did you agree to work for me for practically nothing?"

"Several reasons. First, I would really like to take down Drakken. Payback, you know. Second, my evil career is pretty much shot, but I AM still a mercenary for hire. You paying me keeps that intact. Third, I knew you couldn't afford my regular fee," was the answer.

"What IS your regular fee?" asked Kim, tilting her head slightly.

Shego grinned. "Ever heard the old saying, 'If you have to ask...'"

"...you can't afford it," finished Kim. "Fair enough." Then Kim turned serious. "One thing. As long as you work for me, no killing."

Shego looked at her, genuinely shocked. "Kim, I have NEVER killed! Hurt people, sure, that comes with the job. But take a life?" She shook her head. "That's a line I will not cross."

"Glad to hear it," said Kim. She started to ask about all the times Shego had tried to kill her, but was prevented by the Kimmunicator's beep.

"Go, Wade," she said, when his face appeared on the screen.

"Ready for a briefing?" he asked.

"Sure," said Kim, nudging Ron awake.

"Okay. The island he's on is a dormant volcano. The last time it erupted was in 1786. Since he's been there, a major increase in earthquakes has hit the region," said Wade, showing a satellite view of the island.

"Any casualties?" asked Kim.

"No, all the quakes took place deep under water. They didn't even stir up a tsunami," was the answer, and Wade took a drink from a can of Coke.

"That's good news, anyway," said Ron. Rufus agreed.

"According to the records of the ship that took him there, he had only camping equipment and a few boxes, so I don't think this is a new lair," said Wade.

Shego nodded. "I agree. Sounds like one of his research expeditions."

"So we won't have to fight many guards," said Ron.

"No guards, but he usually took me along," said Shego.

"Well, also according to the report, he DID have someone with him, a woman," said Wade.

At that, Shego's eyes grew wide. "Who could he have found to replace me already?" she murmured.

"We'll find out soon enough. Aren't we nearly there?" asked Kim.

Just then a man stuck his head out of the cabin. "We're almost over your drop point, Kim," said the man.

"Thanks for the ride, Jim," said Kim, and grinned. She got up to put on her parachute.

"Nonsense, Kim, it's the least I could do after you saved that elephant I was transporting," he answered with a smile.

"No big, it was just a LITTLE elephant," said Kim, and stepped to the hatch.

Twenty minutes later, Team Possible (plus one) landed safely on the beach of the island. Discarding their parachutes, they looked around. It was a typical tropical island, with palm trees and undergrowth. The sky was dominated by the volcano itself, a forboding mass of dark rock.

Kim pulled out the Kimmunicator. "Tech scan it, please, Wade," she said.

"Well, there's something there. I'm reading what is probably a generator, and a few electronic signals, but nothing else," he said.

"Good enough. Let's find a way in," said Kim.

"There's a tunnel about a hundred yards to your left. That's probably the way," said Wade.

"Thanks," said Kim, putting away the Kimmunicator.

A few minutes walking, and they found the tunnel. It was a jagged hole, wreathed in darkness.

"Well, it's better than finding monkeys," muttered Ron.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

They crept silently down the tunnel, the darkness thick around them. Behind them, the light of day was growing dimmer, while the glow of artificial illumination was growing ahead.

At the end of the tunnel, they looked cautiously into the cavern. A sleeping bag was in one corner, with personal effects nearby. A couple of medium-sized crates sat open near the back, the straw protecting whatever had been inside scattered around. The hum of a gas-powered generator was plainly audible. Lights on poles made stark shadows. There was no sign of Drakken.

They stepped in, and looked around.

"There's a laptop," said Kim, pointing to it sitting on a shelf of rock. "Maybe we can find out what he's doing."

"I'll check. I know all his passwords," said Shego.

But before she could even start toward the computer, the sound of footsteps drew their attention. Dr. Drakken came into view from the back. Evidently there was another cavern they hadn't seen behind him.

He stopped and stared. KIM POSSIBLE!" he shouted, "What are you... when... how... how do you DO that? Oh, never mind."

"Give it up, Drakken. This time we're stopping you before you get started!" said Kim.

"Then you should have been here days ago," answered Drakken with a grin. He caught sight of the others in the cave, and his eyes grew wide. "Shego? What are you doing here? I thought you'd be dead by now."

"The rumors of my demise, yadda, yadda," answered Shego, "I'm working for Kim, now. What's this I heard of you already getting my replacement?"

"Oh, how rude of me!" He turned and called back into the other cave. "Oh, CeCe..."

A figure, obviously female, stepped into the cave and stopped, her upper half still in darkness.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, time out!" said Shego, "Who is she, and WHAT IS SHE DOING IN MY CLOTHES?"

The mysterious person was indeed wearing Shego's signature green and black jumpsuit.

Drakken actually had the grace to look embarrassed. "Well, I admit I DID miss you a little, Shego." He grinned again, "At least, until I finished her!"

The person stepped fully into the light.

"A BeBe!" gasped Kim.

Drakken looked at her. "Oh, no, this is CeCe. Upgraded from the BeBes. And I fixed that little glitch in her programming. She obeys only my orders."

Kim absently noted that, besides wearing Shego's jumpsuit, she also wore a black wig that was styled like Shego's hair, but the length was only to just below her shoulders.

"Intruders present," said CeCe, "I must protect Dr. Drakken."

She took another step forward and looked at Ron. "Subject: name uncertain. Sidekick to Kim Possible."

"My name is Ron Stoppable!" shouted Ron in exasperation.

"Data added to file," CeCe noted. "Threat: none."

"Aw, man..." muttered Ron.

"Subject: Kim Possible. Teen hero. Threat: minimal."

Kim frowned, and pulled out the Kimmunicator.

"Subject: Shego. Former assistant to Dr. Drakken. Threat: moderate."

While CeCe was assessing threats, Kim worked on the Kimmunicator. Drakken noticed her actions.

"If you were going to try that high-frequency sound again, forget it. She's proofed against it," he said, "What part of 'upgraded' didn't you understand?"

Kim growled, and put away the device.

"You want to see just how 'moderate' a threat I am?" said Shego in a dangerous voice. She took a stance, and ignited her hands.

CeCe vibrated briefly, and seemed to disappear. She reappeared directly in front of Shego. Her right arm swung forward in what was intended as a killing blow.

Only Shego's lightning-fast reflexes saved her life. She managed to back away just far enough so instead of the fist emerging from her back, it drove the wind from her, and sent her flying into the wall of the cave, stunned and gasping for breath. Her green glow vanished.

"Threat nullified," said CeCe.

Drakken started laughing.

Kim got an angry expression. She turned her left wrist up, and pushed a button on her glove.

To the others in the cave, she seemed to disappear. To her, they all seemed to stop moving. Instead of her rocket skates, she was wearing a new version of the super-speed shoes. These had a timer in the circuitry so they could only be used for a maximum of ten minutes a day, subjective time.

She ran by CeCe, tapped her on the shoulder as she did, said "Tag, you're it," and disappeared down the tunnel to the outside.

CeCe took one very long second to analyse this unexpected development, then turned on her super speed and followed Kim outside. Her head swivelled 360 degrees, searching. She caught a glimpse of auburn hair as it disappeared around the side of the island. CeCe followed.

Kim ran on top of the water, enjoying the sensation. "Oh, yes, this still rocks!" she thought, grinning. "But back to business. I DO have a time limit, after all." She looked over her shoulder, and saw CeCe. She was far behind, but slowly cutting the distance between them. "Okay, I got her away from Ron and Shego, but now what? Think, Possible!"

The urgency of finding a plan of action intensified when something green exploded in the water where she had just been. She looked back to see CeCe's hands glowing green. She had just launched another plasma ball.

"Just like Shego!" Kim thought, "I guess Drakken really did miss her." She cut to her left, away from the island, and again a plasma ball exploded where she had been.

Kim ran around the island, dodging plasma as she did. She was starting to get winded, and time was getting short on her shoes usefullness.

Suddenly an idea hit her, and she grinned. She saw what she needed, and headed for it. At the bottom of a twenty-foot wave as still as stone, she stopped and turned to face CeCe.

The humanoid robot ran up and stopped five feet from Kim, hands still glowing. "So, Kim Possible, you have decided to stop running, and face me."

Kim grinned at her, then tapped the button on her glove, turning off the super-speed shoes.

To CeCe, Kim appeared to stop moving. The illogic of the move confused her. "Why would Kim Possible give up the advantage of speed?" she thought. Her fuzzy logic system pondered, then decided a course of action.

She fired up her built-in jetpack and set it to hover mode, then turned off her super speed.

She watched as gravity pulled Kim Possible, still grinning, beneath the surface. She watched the teen heroine dive deeper, swimming away from her and toward the shore with sure, powerful strokes.

"Does Kim Possible think she is safe, now?" she wondered, "My plasma blasts can still reach her."

Intent on Kim, it took CeCe a moment to become aware of a roaring sound behind her. Her head turned around to find the wave they had been standing beside was breaking over her.

She had just time to say, "Oh, snap," and disappeared beneath the wave.

Kim had guessed right that Drakken had not waterproofed CeCe. As she swam, she heard electrical noises as the dangerous robot shorted out.

Unfortunately for Kim, in the heat of the moment, she had forgotten that salt water conducts electricity rather well. Kim found herself surrounded by the wild current, her muscles jerking and burning. She tried to scream but merely succeeded in releasing the breath she had been holding.

The electrical torture ended suddenly, but Kim was in pain, and was desparately trying to breathe. She forced her very uncooperative muscles to bring her to the surface, just in time.

She took several deep breaths, orienting herself. The shore was nearby, for which she was grateful. She didn't have the strength to swim far.

After several minutes of struggling, she made it to shore. She collapsed on the beach and rested. But not for long. Ron and Shego were still with Drakken. She had to get there.

She forced herself to stand, and trudged toward the cave, staggering as she walked.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

To Ron and Drakken, Kim seemed to disappear. A second later, so did CeCe. Shego didn't see anything, being preoccupied with forcing air back into her uncooperative body.

"Shego!" shouted Ron, and knelt beside her. He quickly glanced over her, but saw no obvious injuries. Then he touched the back of her head, and it came back sticky with blood.

"You've got a head wound," said Ron.

Shego nodded. "Bleeds a -gasp- lot but -gasp- not serious. Lucky I -gasp- didn't get -gasp- a concussion."

Ron pulled a moist towellette from his utility belt, and pressed it against the wound.

"You're having so much trouble breathing, should I give you mouth-to-mouth or something?" asked Ron.

Shego eyed him. "Try it and -gasp- I'll breathe hot plasma -gasp- down your throat -gasp- and show you -gasp- how Baked Alaska -gasp- feels."

Drakken was still laughing. "Met your match at last, Shego! And now I've got an assistant who doesn't talk back and give me grief!"

"You're about -gasp- to get all the -gasp- grief you can -gasp- handle," said Shego. With Ron's help, she got to her feet. Ron pulled the bloody towellette away from her.

Drakken stopped laughing. "Um, you're not mad about me firing you, are you?"

"Of course not. -gasp- That was strictly business. I'm not even -gasp- mad about your toy's -gasp- love tap. I am working for -gasp- your enemy, after all," said Shego.

She took a deep breath, and straightend up to her full height. "But what I AM mad about is that you called the other villains, and now I can't get evil work!"

"Oh, come on," said Drakken, "It's not like you're hurting for money!"

"Beside the point! It wasn't your decision if I work or not!" shouted Shego.

"What I did was in the best interests of the evil community! You're dying soon! Why should anybody be saddled with you and your medical bills?" Drakken shouted back.

"It still wasn't your decision!" shouted Shego even louder.

The two of them got in each others faces, and continued to shout.

Rufus popped his head out of Ron's pocket and looked up at him. Ron looked down at his little friend, and rolled his eyes. He made his way past the arguing couple, and went into the other cavern. He found a control console, and some pipes connected to boxes with obscure functions. Several pipes were driven into the floor of the cavern.

Ron stepped over to the console, and looked at the maze of buttons and lights. "Hmm.. self-destruct, self-destruct..." Ron put a hand out, and was about to press a button when he was distracted by the voices from the other cave.

"Oh, yeah?" shouted Drakken.

"Yeah!" shouted Shego.

"Boy, that's original," thought Ron.

Kim made her way down the tunnel. The walk had loosened her electrically-tightened muscles a bit, but she was still very sore. The tropical sun had somewhat dried her out, but she was still mostly wet. She felt like a drowned naked mole rat.

She heard familiar voices raised in anger ahead, and forced her tired body to move a little faster. At the end of the tunnel, she found Drakken and Shego nose to nose yelling. Ron was nowhere in sight.

"Well, then, I suppose I'll have to- KIM POSSIBLE!" yelled Drakken, catching sight of his foe.

The console was immediately forgotten as Ron ran back to the other cave. He saw Kim leaning against the wall, arms crossed.

"How did you... what... where's CeCe?" said Drakken, rather incoherently.

Kim smirked. "She had to go, but she did WAVE goodbye!"

Drakken threw up his arms in frustration.

Shego gave Kim an odd look, but decided to leave that cryptic comment alone for now. "You okay, boss?" she asked.

"Kim Possible, boss," muttered Drakken, "That is sick and wrong on so many levels."

That earned him a sharp glance from Shego.

"So not the drama, Shego," said Kim, stepping into the cave and past her, trying not to let her pain show.

"Well, then, let's see what you were up to," said Shego, turning Drakken around and shoving him toward the other cave.

"I tried to find a self-destruct button, but couldn't," said Ron, presenting the console.

"That's because I didn't install one, boy," said Drakken.

"Ooohh... well, that explains- oh, no, wait, it doesn't. What gives? You ALWAYS have a self-destruct button!" said Ron.

Drakken shook his head. "Not this time."

"Well, don't worry about it," said Shego, "I've got it covered." She drew back her arm, and green plasma enveloped it.

"NO!" shouted Drakken.

Shego threw the plasma ball, and the control console melted into slag.

"WHAT HAVE YOU DONE!" shouted Drakken.

"Stopped you from making this volcano erupt," answered Kim, stretching her arms and wincing at the pain.

Drakken turned to her. "You don't understand!" he wailed, "That machine was the only thing keeping the volcano FROM erupting!"

There was a moment of stunned silence, followed by a rumbling sound deep underground.

"Ooops!" said Shego.

"LET'S GET OUT OF HERE!" shouted Ron, and ran for the cave entrance.

"Good idea," muttered Shego, and turned to follow.

The four of them ran down the tunnel, trying to keep their feet as the volcano shook under them. Large chunks of rock started falling from above, and Shego had to use her plasma bolts to blast them before they got hit.

Once they were outside, Kim pulled out the Kimmunicator. "Wade? Wade, you there?" she was getting nothing but static.

"Forget your computer buddy. The piezoelectrical fields are destroying the signal," said Drakken.

"We've got to get off this island!" said Kim, "And we need Wade to do that!"

"I guess you have a point," conceeded Drakken.

"When you came here, didn't you have a plan for getting away quickly if you had to?" yelled Shego.

"Well, I-" started Drakken, then he brightened. "Of course! Come on!" He turned and ran toward the growth beside the cave mouth, followed closely by the others.

Concealed in some bushes was a large flat crate. Drakken pushed a button on the side, and the top flipped open and the sides fell flat. Inside was the old blue hovercar.

Another quake hit, stronger than any before, and threw them all flat.

Ron happened to look toward the cave, and saw red light coming from it. "Uh, guys, I think we'd better hurry..."

"What is it, Ron?" asked Kim.

"That!" he said, pointing, "Liquid rock! Coming at us! Now!"

Shego jumped into the pilot's seat, Kim beside her. Ron and Drakken took the back seats. Shego had some trouble starting the engine, but it finally kicked in, and they rose from the ground.

The hovercar sped away from the island at top speed. Out in the open air, they headed for the mainland. A few minutes and several miles away, Shego put the craft into hover mode, and the five of them watched the volcano.

Without warning, the volcano blew its top, sending lava, smoke, and steam high into the air. Thirty seconds later the sound arrived, accompanied by turbulent air. Shego dived for the controls, and fought with the craft until it was stable again.

For several minutes they all silently watched the spectacle of Nature's fury unleashed.

Finally, Rufus volunteered a low "Wow."

The other four agreed with that assessment.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Kim and Shego walked into the Possible home early the next morning. Ron and Rufus had been dropped off at their house and Drakken had been left with the authorities. It had taken some persuasion on Kim's part to convince them they hadn't seen Shego.

"I need to take a shower," said Kim, "The dried salt is kinda irritating, and I smell like the ocean."

"I noticed, but wasn't going to say anything," said Shego with a smirk. "But that was pretty clever, the way you took out CeCe. And made a bad pun as well."

"Drakken usually forgets something vital. It's just a matter of finding it," Kim answered.

Twenty minutes later, showered and refreshed, Kim flopped on her bed, wearing a tank top and baggy cotton pants. She wasn't particularly sleepy, just physically worn out and very sore.

Just then, Shego appeared at the top of the stairs. "How are you feeling?" she asked. She had cleaned up in the other bathroom, and was wearing her bathrobe again.

Kim groaned. "Very, VERY sore. I ache everywhere. The shower helped, though."

"I can help you feel better," said Shego, approaching her.

Kim turned her head and looked at her friend. "Please and thank you!"

Shego ignited her hands, and moved them toward Kim. Kim rolled over away from her. "What are you doing?" she asked, suddenly defensive.

"Just relax, and trust me. I'm not going to hurt you," said Shego.

After a moment's hesitation, she rolled back on her stomach again. "Sorry. I AM used to those hands coming to hurt me."

"Yeah, I should have explained first. My bad," said Shego. "I've got them on a low heat, like a heating pad. This will make your muscles relax and feel better."

Shego started rubbing Kim's back slowly, but with pressure. The plasma heat penetrated her body an inch, and Kim could feel it in her muscles. Shego's hands followed the direction of the muscles, kneading them and unkinking them. The relief was immediate and wonderful.

The massage continued down her back, over her buttocks, and down her legs. Then she worked on Kim's arms and hands. Kim had never felt so good, and groaned in what is usually termed a 'good hurt'. Shego turned her over, and repeated the process on Kim's front. She completed her task on Kim's neck and face. By the time she finished, Kim was nearly asleep.

"You said the other day you wanted to show your gratitude," said Kim, sleepily, "Well, consider it shown." She closed her eyes and dozed off.

Shego gave Kim a wistful smile, and quietly left the room.

Back downstairs, Shego winced at the pain in her belly. CeCe's blow had really hurt. She turned and went back to the guest room, trying not to show any weakness.

Mrs. Possible was in the family room, and watched her. Suspicious of her actions, she got up and followed.

Shego sat on the bed, and grabbed a bottle of pain pills, swallowing two dry. Just then, Mrs. Possible appeared in the door.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"Nothing, just a bit of pain," said Shego, putting the bottle down.

Mrs. Possible frowned. "Don't give me that. Did you get hurt on that mission?"

Shego hesitated, a play of different emotions on her face. Then she decided to tell the truth. "Yeah, I got a very hard blow in the stomach, and a cut on the back of my head."

Mrs. Possible growled and briskly walked to her. She put her hand gently on Shego's head, and tilted it forward. Moving the hair out of the way, she found the cut. "Well, that looks okay. Does it hurt?"

"Just a bit. Ron cleaned it for me," she answered.

Mrs. Possible left the room and came back a moment later with her medical bag. She put a topical ointment on the cut, but left it alone otherwise.

"Lie down, please," she said, and Shego complied. "Tell me where it hurts," she said, pressing gently below Shego's ribs.

When she found the place, Shego couldn't help but react strongly. "Yeah, that's it," she said.

"Okay, get up and get dressed, we're going to the hospital," said Mrs. Possible.

"Why?" asked Shego.

"I want to be sure you don't have any internal injuries. With the cancer, your body is much more prone to break down from a violent shock," was the answer.

Shego knew better than to argue with Kim's mom, by now. She got up and got dressed.

Several hours later, Kim came downstairs, much refreshed. She found her mom and Shego in the living room, watching a movie and sharing popcorn.

"Hi," said Shego, "Feeling better?"

"Much," answered Kim, stretching, "There's almost no pain, now." She sat down beside her mother, and helped herself to some popcorn. "You missed your calling. You should have been a massage therapist."

Shego's eyes gleamed, and she looked at Kim with an amusement that left her wondering what she didn't know about Shego's past.

"Well, she got off lucky," said Kim's mom, "We caught some internal bleeding from that hit. Lucky the hospital has that gamma ray tool that could cauterize it without our having to cut her open."

"Oh, no," said Kim, putting her hand over her mouth, "I'm sorry, Shego. I didn't think of the pain you might be in."

Shego shrugged. "Comes with the territory," she answered.

"Well, as your doctor, I'm telling you that was your last mission, Shego," said Mrs. Possible, "You're getting to be too fragile for that kind of punishment."

Shego laughed grimly. "Me, fragile," she said, and snorted.

"Yes, you, fragile," said Mrs. Possible.

"Okay, okay, I get the message," said Shego, and turned her attention back to the movie.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Mr. Possible came home one afternoon, and immediately sought out Kim. He found her and Shego in the gym. Kim was doing bench presses, and Shego was spotting her. To get their attention, he lightly rapped on the wall.

Shego glanced at him, then back to Kim. She was just lifting the barbell. "Okay, hold on," Shego said, and helped Kim put it back in the cradle.

Kim sat up, and wiped her face. "What's up, Dad?" she asked.

"I need to see both of you in the living room," he answered, and turned up the stairs.

"What did you do now?" asked Shego, "And why are you framing me?"

"Me? Talk to the Tweebs," answered Kim.

Shego chuckled, and followed Kim up the stairs.

In the living room they found Mrs. Possible. "I called the Stoppables, and Ron will be here in a few minutes," she said.

Mr. Possible nodded. "Thanks, hon," he said. Then he turned to Kim. "Would you get Wade on the line? He needs to be in on this."

Kim's eyes got wide, but went and got the Kimmunicator. As she was coming back down, Ron let himself in.

"Hi, everyone! The Ronster's in the HOUSE!" he said.

Wade appeared on the Kimmunicator's screen. "What's up, guys?" he asked.

"I think we've got a mission," said Kim, as her best friend sat down beside her. Rufus popped out of Ron's pocket, and sat down on the coffee table.

"Indeed you do," said Mr. Possible, in his best dramatic voice, "A mission of... WORLD SHAKING proportions!"

"Are the dramatics really necessary?" asked Shego with irritation.

"Just trying to lighten the mood," said Mr. Possible, with a sour look.

Shego rolled her eyes, but didn't comment further.

Mr. Possible looked at his wife. "Where did you say the twins were, dear?"

"They went to that new water park with the Smithsons," she answered.

He nodded. "Good. Now, here's the 'sitch'," he started, and everyone groaned.

"I'm just not appreciated around here," he muttered. "A month ago, a new asteroid was found, designated 2005KP by the International Astronomical Union."

They heard Wade's fingers fly over the computer keyboard. "That's wierd," he said, "I can find the IAU notice for it's discovery, but nothing else, not even the orbit, in any online catalog."

"There's a reason for that," said Mr. Possible, "Computations indicate there is a 100 percent chance it will hit the earth. It will be here in just thirty-three days."

There was silence around the room. Rufus looked puzzled.

"Um, I'm going to take a guess and say that's bad... isn't it?" said Ron.

"Very," said Wade, "Sir, what's known about it?"

"Well, measurements indicate it's about seven kilometers in diameter, so it's about the same size as the Martian moon Deimos. Spectral analysis shows it's a Type "C" asteroid, so it's mostly rock. That's one break, since if it was iron and nickel, the damage to the world would be much greater."

"Wait, wait, wait," said Ron, "You're talking about a rock. In space. Right?"

Mr. Possible nodded.

"Oh, yeah, a meteor. We don't have anything to worry about. Those burn up when they hit the air," said Ron, laughing.

"Ron, meteors are tiny," said Kim, "This one is huge. It ISN'T going to burn up!"

"Well, what are we talking about, then?" asked Ron, with a nervous quaver in his voice.

"We're talking about the end of civilization," said Wade.

Ron pondered for a few seconds, while everyone waited for him to catch up. Suddenly he dived under the coffee table. "TAKE COVER!" he yelled.

"Amp down, Ron," said Kim, grabbing him by the shirt and pulling, "And get back up here!"

Shego ignited a finger and pointed it at him. "And stop acting like a goofball!"

"Evacuate the planet!" he said, looking around, "Teenagers and naked mole rats first!"

"Ron, it's not going to be here for a month!" said Kim, trying to calm him down.

"Oh," he said, looking embarrassed.

Shego growled, but extinguished her finger.

"What's going to happen, sir?" asked Wade.

"Well, the original plan was to launch a nuclear missile at it, and blow it up. But no launch system available can get a warhead out of orbit, and that's too close to do any good.

The second problem is that even if a bomb could be delivered to it, simulations show that what would probably happen is that it would break up into several pieces..."

"And THEY burn up! Problem solved!" said Ron, grinning, and leaning back on the couch.

"No, Ronald," said Mr. Possible, in a low voice, "The pieces would still be too big to do that. And most or all of it would still hit the earth."

"So that's it?" asked Shego, "We're doomed? I don't even get to live out my last days?"

"Well, not quite. Kimmie, you remember the Space Plane I built? The one you and Ronald went to the Space Station in?" asked Mr. Possible.

Kim nodded.

"You'll have to tell me about that sometime," said Shego to Kim in a low voice.

"That's the only vehicle on the planet capable of reaching the asteroid while it's still far enough away to do something about it. We, and I mean all of us, (except you, Wade) are going to fly it to the asteroid, and blow that giant rock up!"

The click of Wade's keyboard could be heard. "Well, that's do-able, but what's the point? Wether it's delivered by missile or Space Plane, the results would be the same."

"Not if we drill a hole to the center, and blow it up from there," said Mr. Possible, "That would be enough to change the orbit of some or most of it. There would be a lot less damage, and fewer lives lost then."

"Okay..." said Wade, "I can see how that might work, but it's still pretty iffy."

"True. It's a poor plan, but it's the only one we've got, considering the asteroid was discovered only a month ago," said Mr. Possible.

"Dad, you know I'm in," said Kim, "But why are we having to do it?"

"The Space Plane hasn't been flown since that excursion of yours. There's nobody qualified to fly it but me and you. And Ronald has experience with the Plane, and in space," was the answer.

"I guess my role will be support and analysis," said Wade.

"Right," said Mr. Possible.

"I have a question," said Shego, "Why do I have to be involved?"

Mr. Possible sighed. "The device has been delivered to the Space Center, but the drill is still in the design stage. I've read Jim and Tim's files on your power, and I believe you can do the drilling."

Shego blinked, thinking. "I've never done anything like that. I'm not sure I can."

"You have to try," said Kim, "You can save a lot of lives."

"Shego," said Mrs. Possible, "We're talking millions dead, as opposed to billions."

Shego shrugged. "It's all the same to me. I won't be here in a few months anyway. So, thanks for the invite, but no thanks."

There was stunned silence around the room. Both elder Possibles started to say something, but couldn't think of anything.

Suddenly Kim got a sly look. "You still work for me," she said.

Shego looked at her sharply. "What?"

"When you agreed to work for me, we didn't set a time limit," she explained.

"Well, no, but that doesn't mean..." started Shego.

"Are you going to break our contract?" asked Kim, in a quavering voice.

Shego opened her mouth to say something, and Kim hit her with the Puppy Dog Pout.

"What are you... argh, stop that!" said Shego, and looked away, directly at Mrs. Possible, who was also giving the Pout.

"I'm surrounded!" shouted Shego, and closed her eyes. There was dead silence. A minute passed, and Shego opened an eye and looked at Kim, who hadn't moved or dropped the Pout.

"Grrr... okay, okay, I'm in, just stop doing that!" she said.

Kim smiled. "I thought I could count on you," she said sweetly.

Shego glared at her. "I'll get you for this," she growled, "And I want a raise... boss!"


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

"What's my role in this mission, dear?" asked Mrs. Possible.

"Ship's surgeon. Considering Shego's condition, you need to be there to keep her going. Everything depends on her," was the answer.

Mrs. Possible nodded. "Okay, I'm in too."

"Kimmie, Ronald, you will help Shego, and do the delivery and setup of the bomb and the experiments," said Mr. Possible.

"You got it, Dr. P!" said Ron, giving a thumbs up. Rufus did the same.

"Are we all agreed, then?" he asked, looking around the room.

Everyone nodded, Shego reluctantly.

"Great! Wade, the techs at the Space Center are waiting to hear from you. I want you to look over everthing, and see what needs do be done," said Mr. Possible.

"On, it," said Wade, and the Kimmunicator screen went dark.

"What about our boys?" asked Mrs. Possible.

"I think we need to send them to stay with Nana. We don't need them underfoot right now," he answered.

"I agree. I'll call her in a few minutes, and see if they can go tonight," said Mrs. Possible.

"Are you sure you don't want them with us? They'd be able to take the asteroid apart with their bare hands," commented Kim.

There were chuckles around the room.

"Okay, first thing tomorrow, we're all going to the Space Center to be outfitted, and start getting familiar with the equipment," said Mr. Possible.

"Ah, Mr. Dr. P? What do I tell my parents?" asked Ron.

The aforementioned Mr. Dr. P sighed. "Nothing, Ronald. Just that this will be an extra-long mission. You can say Kim's mom and I are involved, if you think it would help. It's going to be a top-secret operation, and keeping it quiet is key."

"Got it, sir, thanks," said Ron.

"I might as well say that I have experience in space too, and I can fly pretty much anything," said Shego.

"Great! That will save a lot of time!" said Mr. Possible. "If there's nothing else, I suggest dinner! I'm starving!"

Kim and Ron helped set the table, and bring the dishes to it.

Kim was about to sit down, when she noticed Shego wasn't there.

"Back in a minute," she said, and left the room.

The living room was empty, as was her room. The master bath was open, and she wasn't in the guest room. That left one possibility. She went downstairs, and there was Shego, sitting on the bench with her back to the door.

"What do you want, Kim?" asked Shego without looking around.

"Is something wrong?" Kim asked, stepping into the room.

"I'm sulking. Go away," answered Shego.

Kim blinked. "Why?"

"Wounded pride. You got the better of me. AGAIN!" was the answer.

"So not the drama, Shego, we're talking about saving the world!" protested Kim.

"Yeah, yeah, I know, you always have the best intentions," said Shego.

Kim walked over to her, and Shego suddenly turned around and put a finger in Kim's face. "You used two, count 'em, two, rotten, low-down, dirty, underhanded tricks to get what you wanted!"

Kim was taken aback. "But-"

Shego grinned. "I'm very proud of you."

"Uh... what do you mean?" Kim was very confused.

"You're not quite the goody two-shoes I've always thought you were," said Shego, and stood up.

Kim didn't know weither to be insulted or flattered.

"Let's go eat, I'm starved," said Shego, and disappeared up the stairs. Kim followed slowly, bemused.

The Possible family, plus guests and minus the twins, had a quiet dinner. Most of them were pondering what the next month would bring.

Shego looked at Mrs. Possible and smirked. "Last mission, huh?"

Mrs. Possible took a deep breath, thought better of answering, then rolled her eyes and continued to eat.

Unable to get a rise out of her, Shego turned to Kim. "You know, you took a big risk with CeCe."

"She nearly killed you, Shego," said Kim, "I did what I had to do to get her away from you and Ron."

Upon hearing his name, the blonde boy looked at his redheaded friend briefly, then went back to his food.

"That's not what I'm talking about," said the older girl around a mouthfull of mashed potatoes.

"Well, what, then?" asked Kim, taking a bite of meatloaf, which mercifully wasn't brain-shaped, this time.

"You were on pretty safe ground when you guessed Dr. D hadn't waterproofed her. I would have taken that gamble myself. But turning off the speed shoes right in front of her was foolish. She might have blasted you," answered Shego.

Kim grinned. "The time limit was nearly up anyway. But it wasn't as big a risk as you might think. I've fought the BeBes before, and I could tell he hadn't made any major modifications to the programming. You know how single-minded they are..."

Shego nodded, drinking some iced tea.

"All I had to do was get her in position, then do something unexpected to keep her attention on me. I knew she would follow me back to normal speed, just out of curiosity to see what I was up to. After that, it was all over. My only mistake was forgetting about the electricity," said Kim.

Shego shook her head. "You're more of a risk-taker than I ever thought," she said quietly, "Two surprises in one night. What surprise do you have planned for tomorrow?"

Kim smiled, a little embarrassed, and shrugged.

After dinner, Ron walked home slowly, pondering what to tell his parents. He had to tell them something, but what?

"I dunno, Rufus, what do you think I should say?" he asked his little friend.

Rufus looked up at him, and shrugged his shoulders. "Dunno," he offered.

"You're a lot of help," Ron muttered.

Arriving home, he found his parents in the living room, watching the news.

"Mom, Dad, can I talk to you for a minute?" he asked.

"Sure, son," said his dad, and turned down the sound. "What's up?"

"Well, Kim and I have a mission that starts tomorrow, but we won't actually leave on it for a month. We have to take some training first," he said.

"I see. What kind of mission?" asked Mr. Stoppable.

"That's the thing," said Ron, rubbing the back of his head, "I can't tell you, it's secret."

"It sounds dangerous," said Mrs. Stoppable, "I don't think I like this mission."

"We're going to try to save the world," said Ron, "At least as much of it as we can save."

"What does that mean?" asked his father.

"Uh, sorry, I shouldn't have said that," said Ron, then brightened, "But I can tell you that Shego, and Mr. and Mrs. Possible are going too."

"Well, Ronald, you are an adult, and can make your own decisions. If you think this mission is important, then do it," said his dad.

"Yes, Son, I agree," said his Mom, "It's like a mother to worry, but I know you will be fine."

"BOOYAH!" said Ron, and high-fived with Rufus. "You guys are the greatest!"

"You say this mission starts tomorrow?" asked his dad.

"Yes, sir. They are going to pick me up at seven, and I don't know when or if I'll be back," he answered.

"Then you better get to bed early. Have you eaten?" asked his mom.

"Yeah, Mom, but I'm always ready to fill in the corners," he said.

After some snackage, he went upstairs to his room. He IMed Felix that he would be busy for the next month, so had to cancel their game nights. He wrote Frederick the astronaut monkey who was still aboard the space station, telling him they might have a chance to get together soon.

About 10 o'clock, Ron changed into his nightclothes, turned off the light, and slipped into bed. He lay on his back, as Rufus settled in beside him.

"Y'know, Rufus, I've got great parents. I tell them I'm going to be gone on a mission for a month, and they support me. How many parents would do that?" he said.

"Dunno," said Rufus, shrugging.

"I don't know either, but not too many, I can tell you that much. Yeah, I'm really lucky..." he turned over, and drifted off.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

The next morning at the Middleton Space Center, they assembled in a conference room near Mr. Possible's office. Two men in dark suits were waiting for them.

"Good morning," said the taller man, "We are here as the government's liasons for this mission. My name's Thompson, and this is Young." The other man nodded.

He opened his briefcase, and pulled out some papers.

"First, you should know that we are not happy with the presence of an internationally wanted criminal on this mission," he said.

The others looked at each other, but said nothing.

"We feel there is a high probability this is a trick, to appropriate a nuclear weapon for her employer, Drew Lipsky, aka Dr. Drakken," he added.

"Your intelligence is outdated," said Mr. Possible, "Shego, Kim, and Ronald just returned from a mission that brought Lipsky to justice."

Thompson stared at them, then made a note on a yellow pad.

"Be that as it may," he said, "The device is in a location unknown to any of you, and under heavy guard. It will remain so until the last minute, when it will be taken aboard and secured."

Shego looked amused, then shrugged. "I don't care if you trust me or not. In fact, I don't blame you for not. But I'm not after your precious bomb, and I never wanted to be here anyway."

"Then why ARE you here?" asked Thompson.

"She works for me, and this is a job," interjected Kim, and Shego nodded.

"Her role on this mission is vital," said Mrs. Possible.

"I know it is," said Thompson, "But believe me, if there was a way to do this without her, she'd be behind bars where she belongs."

Shego lifted an eyebrow, then pointed at Thompson. She started to ignite her hand, but Kim stopped her with a hand on her arm.

"I'll vouch for her," Kim said.

Thompson wrote on his pad. "Kim Possible vouches for Shego," he muttered, then looked at Kim. "Very well, then. But understand this clearly: you will be held equally responsible if anything happens she is the cause of."

Kim nodded. "I understand."

Unable to resist provoking someone, Shego stroked her chin and looked thoughtful. "Hmmm..." she said.

Kim glanced at her sharply. "So not the time, Shego."

Shego grinned. "Sorry, I couldn't help myself."

Thompson looked from one young woman to the other, then back to his papers. "Moving on. The cover story is that this is the first manned scientific expedition to an asteroid, which it is. But the real objective is secret. Is that understood?"

Ron raised his hand. "I wanted to ask about that. Why all the secrecy? I mean, we ARE going to save the world."

Thompson had been briefed on the family and others before him, and knew from the reports that Ron Stoppable could be very dense at times.

"Because you won't be able to save the world, Mr. Stoppable. At least, not all of it. Even if everything goes as planned, there will still be major damage to the earth, and millions of people will still die," said Thompson.

"Yeah, but I still don't get it. What does that have to do with keeping it a secret?" he asked, confusion plain on his face.

"Ron," said Kim, "What do you think people would do if they were told the world was about to end?"

"Uh... throw a party?" he answered, and everybody, including Thompson and Young, groaned.

Kim whispered in Ron's ear for a minute, and his expression changed from confusion to shock.

"Do you get it now, Mr. Stoppable?" asked Thompson.

"Yes, sir," answered Ron, "But I still like my idea better."

Thompson put away his papers. "That's all I have for now. Are there any questions?"

"I have," said Mr. Possible, "Is the government taking steps to protect anyone?"

"That's not your concern, Dr. Possible. You need to concentrate on the task at hand," answered Thompson. "Anything else?"

There were no other questions.

"Then I bid you good day, and good luck. I'll be in touch," he said, then looked at Kim. "Miss Possible, you keep in mind what I said."

"I will, sir. But don't worry, nothing will happen," answered Kim.

The Doctors Possible had left the room, followed by Young and Thompson.

Shego glared at the man's retreating back, then looked at Kim. "How do you know I won't do anything?"

"Because I trust you," Kim answered.

"Y-you do?" asked Shego, shocked.

"Mmm hmmm," said Kim.

"I always knew I could trust you because you're the good girl. But when did you start trusting me?" asked Shego, not quite beliving it.

Kim looked at her. "We're friends, and friendship is built partially on trust. You've been slowly gaining my trust since you moved in. But what clinched it was when you used your plasma to heal me instead of hurt me."

"Kim, the last person to say they trusted me was a little boy in Go City years ago," said Shego, with sadness.

"It's overdue, then," said Kim.

Shego looked at Ron. "What about you? Do you trust me?"

Ron grinned at her. "If KP says she trusts you, that's good enough for me."

When he saw the eagerness and hope in Shego's face fade a little, he quickly added, "But I trusted you at least a little long before now. There were lots of times you could have blasted me, and didn't."

Shego looked embarrassed. "That's because I never thought you were worth the energy."

"Let's go to the cafateria," said Ron, a little too loudly, "I'm ready for snackage!" And he quickly exited the room.

"I'm with Ron on that one," said Kim, standing up, "Let's go eat, Shego."

"Sheila," was the reply.

Kim looked at her. "What?"

"My name is Sheila, but don't tell anyone," said Shego.

"...I won't," promised Kim.

They left the room, Kim thinking about the gift she had just been given.

The next three weeks passed in a blur of activity. They were able to go back home each night, although sometimes very late.

They were all outfitted with space suits, and taught how to operate them. One small enough for Rufus was out of the question, so they constructed an airtight cage for him.

Mr. Possible spent time reviewing and practicing with the Space Plane's controls, both the real thing and in the simulator. Shego spent time there as well, as she was the backup pilot.

Mrs. Possible learned to use the telemetry station aboard the Plane. She would be monitoring the suits and the condition of those wearing them. She had additional sensors installed in Shego's suit to keep better tabs on her. She ordered every medicine and medical device it was practical to have aboard for the sole purpose of keeping Shego going.

Kim and Ron learned the setup and operation of the experiments they would be taking with them. They also practiced setting up the bomb for use. For this they used a mockup.

Once she was comfortable with her suit, Shego was taken out to an isolated spot, and practiced drilling using her power while in it. Mrs. Possible monitored her from the Plane, which gave her experience, and it gave the scientists an idea of how rapidly Shego could melt the hole.

Shego did have a bad few days, but recovered quickly. "Better to have it now, while still on earth, than on the asteroid," she said, rather philosophically.

One evening they met again in the conference room. There was a computer there, and Wade appeared on the monitor.

"Okay, guys, this is a final briefing," he said, and glanced at another monitor out of camera range.

"You leave tomorrow. The trip will take two days, and you will meet the asteroid just inside the Moon's orbit, when it is still four days from impact. Two days have been set aside for the drilling and destruction, and you will dock with the Space Station to ride it out," said Wade.

"No, we're coming home," said Mrs. Possible, "I'm not going to let my boys be alone when it happens."

Wade opened his mouth, then closed it. "Okay. Then you'll be home just one day before it hits."

"If we die, it will be as a family," she added. "Shego, that includes you."

Shego looked at her, eyes wide, then a green blush came to her cheeks.

"Are there any questions?" asked Wade. There were none. "Then go home, get lots of sleep, and see you in the morning."


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

They arrived at the Space Center early the next morning. Shego, Kim and Ron were in the locker room, where they changed into their regulation light blue coveralls. Rufus was fuming because there wasn't one for him.

"Where's the parential units?" Shego asked Kim.

"Already at the Plane," said Kim, "They needed to supervise last minute details." She looked at Shego. "You know you won't be able to wear that."

Shego had put on her jumpsuit that morning. No one had said anything to her about it until now.

"I know. I just... felt like I needed to," she said. She opened the locker that had been designated for her, and sat down on the bench. Inside was... something unexpected. While training, she had worn a blue coverall like Kim and Ron. But this... she pulled it out. It was a coverall, but green and black, cut in the same pattern as her costume.

Wordlessly she looked at Kim, who grinned. "What's a Shego without her trademark?"

She stood up, walked over to Kim, and enveloped her in a crushing bear hug. "Thank you," she murmured.

"Actually, don't thank me, thank Ron. It was his idea," Kim said, gasping for breath.

Shego looked at Ron, who gave his goofy grin. "Glad you like it," he said.

She let go of Kim, who discreetly tried to move bones back into their proper places, and hugged Ron. "I guess I really do have two friends," she said quietly.

There was a squeak that sounded vaguely like "Hey!"

She looked down and grinned. "Three," she corrected herself.

As promised, the bomb was the last thing to be loaded. Thompson and Young came with it, along with the two techs handling the crate, and three armed, no-nonsense MPs. The latter watched Shego suspiciously, and she in her turn pointedly ignored them from her seat.

Once it was secure, they gave a last glare at Shego, and left the Plane.

"Everybody ready?" asked Mr. Possible from the pilot's station aboard the space plane. The throb of powerful engines filled everyone's ears.

"Everything looks good, Captain," said Wade, "Trajectory set, go when ready."

Suddenly everyone was pushed back in their seat as the plane suddenly started moving down the runway, then reared up on its two aft wheels, and took off for space.

"I'd forgotten how much I hate space travel," muttered Ron.

Kim looked at him. If inertia hadn't held her back, she would have punched him in the arm.

Within minutes they were above the atmosphere, and in orbit.

"Orbit achieved," said Wade. "Altitude two hundred and twenty-three miles. We're giving you one circuit of the earth to hit the correct path. That burn will be in eighty-one minutes."

Loosening their seat belts, all five went aft to check how the cargo and equipment had fared during liftoff.

Typically, Ron started trying to show off, doing flips and pirouettes in the microgravity environment. "Ronald, we don't have room for that kind of thing," said Mr. Possible.

"Sure we do, Mr. Dr. P., see?" he said, and did a backflip, slamming face first into a crate. "Owww..." he said, holding his nose.

Everyone rolled their eyes, and Mrs. Possible came up and examined the offended proboscis, being none too gentle in the process.

Ron looked around the cargo hold, but didn't find what he wanted to see. "Where is it, where is it?" he muttered, searching around.

"What are you looking for, Ron?" asked Mrs. Possible.

"My supply of food!" he said, getting a bit frantic.

"Oh, nothing critical, then," said Mrs. Possible, and turned to examine a slightly damaged crate.

"NOTHING CRITICAL!" said Ron, "My order from Bueno Nacho was left on the ground, and that's not critical? I'm gonna die from eating astronaut food!"

"Nobody has yet," said Kim, then in a lower voice, "But it would be nice to have it be more tender."

"Got that right," said Shego, "Even the coffee is tough."

"Argh," said Ron, "I can just see the ground crew, eating my nacos."

One thing not forgotten was a large supply of cheese for Rufus, in the form of a cheese wheel. Rufus dived in, and ate until sated, then slept, and ate again. They hoped it would last the six days of the mission.

A call came in from the Control Center. Dr. Peterson, the Director, was on the monitor. Ron noticed that at the bottom of the screen were several Bueno Nacho wrappers.

"See, Kim? What did I tell you?" he said, and Kim shushed him.

"Dr. Possible, crew, we have an important call for you. Please stand by," said Peterson. He disappeared, and the Presidential Seal appeared. That raised eyebrows aboard the Plane. Shego quietly moved out of range of the camera pickup.

Suddenly the President was on the screen.

"I wanted to thank you all in advance for the effort you are making to save the Earth. In a time of crisis, heroes step forward, and it's no surprise to me that the heroes are once again the Possibles." He paused, as if listening to someone. "And of course John Stoppable."

Kim winced for Ron.

He appeared to study his screen. "Isn't there one more crew member?"

Kim grabbed Shego's arm, and pulled her back into view. She allowed it, though reluctantly.

"Ah, yes, Shego," said the President. "I'm aware of the part you are playing in this mission, and I'm also aware of your... condition. I wanted to let you know that as a reward, the Justice Department is in negotiations with the countries where you are wanted to get those warrants and charges dropped. Whatever time is left, you will have it with a clean slate."

Shego stared at the screen for a long moment. "Thank you," she said quietly.

"Good luck to you all. You are Earth's last hope," said the President, and was gone.

Dr. Peterson appeared. "And Mr. Stoppable, thanks for having the large order from Bueno Nacho sent to the Center. It's really appreciated." He took a big bite of a naco, and the screen blanked.

"Aw, man..." said Ron.

Wade appeared on the monitor. "Okay, burn in two minutes," he said.

Reluctantly, everyone returned to their chairs and strapped in.

"Burn in six... five... four... three... two... one... zero!" said Wade, and the main engines fired up, pushing them back into their seats again. This lasted two minutes, after which the engines fell silent.

"Trajectory achieved," said Wade, "Good luck, and God speed."

They were on their way to Asteroid 2005KP, and would arrive in two days.


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

The Space Plane sat at a relative distance of two kilometers from Asteroid 2005KP. It was not in orbit around it, but on a parallel course towards Earth.

Kim and Ron were in space suits in the cargo hold, which had been opened to vacuum. They had opened a crate and retrieved three small satellites that would be placed into orbit around the asteroid. Besides scientific sensors, they would also act as radio and video relays, so that no one would ever be out of touch.

When the last one had been tossed out the hatch, they watched as the small rocket motors fired up to move them into position.

"They're on the way to position. It will take a couple of hours to give the asteroid a once-over so I can find the best place to dig," said Wade.

"In the meantime, we'll set up the experiments," said Kim to Ron.

"Sounds good, KP," he answered.

They grabbed an appropriate crate, and stepped into space. Each had a thruster backpack similar to the ones Kim and Ron wore on missions, but without wings. These were activated, and they headed for the surface.

They landed gently on a plain, and surveyed the area. Small boulders and pebbles were strewn around on the dark gray surface. Low, irregular hills were in the distance. The edge of the Moon peered over the horizon, and the Earth was nearly overhead. The Sun shown brightly as always, throwing stark shadows on the airless surface. The shape of the Space Plane gleamed nearby, surrounded by the unnaturally bright and sharp stars. There were so many, Kim found it tough to pick out any of the constellations.

"Not exactly the vacation spot of the year," said Kim.

"I dunno," said Ron, "If you compare it with Camp Wannaweep..."

"Can you hear me, guys?" asked Wade over their headphones.

"Loud and clear," answered Kim.

"Good. Go ahead and set up the experiments, and be careful! The gravity is almost non-existant. Step too hard, and you could find yourself in orbit."

"Ron, that goes double for you," said Kim, turning to him. "I don't want this asteroid to have a moon by the name of Stoppable."

"Okay, KP, okay, I'll be careful," he answered.

They spent the next couple of hours setting up the experiments, including a large mirror that was aimed at Earth. A laser from the ground could tell the distance to the asteroid within a few millimeters. It took them several trips to complete the work.

"That's the last of it, Wade," reported Kim.

"Good timing," Wade replied, "I've found the best spot to dig, and Shego's coming to join you."

"WHEEE!" said Shego through the radio.

They looked at the Plane, and saw a small object separate itself and slowly grow larger. A few minutes later, she landed beside them, grinning broadly.

"Man, I'd forgotten how much fun space travel can be!" she said.

"I'm glad somebody likes it," muttered Ron, "I'd just like to be able to scratch my nose."

"If everyone's ready, turn left about 45 degrees, and walk forward about two hundred feet," said Wade.

They all turned and walked, counting as they did.

"Two hundred. Wade, we're here," said Kim.

"Great! You're dead on the spot. Shego, you can start when ready," he answered. Kim and Ron stepped back a few feet.

Shego lifted her hands, and green flames burst into being around the space suit gloves. She aimed at the ground at her feet, and willed the flames down. They licked at the gray stone, and shortly began to melt it, going down.

"How are you doing?" asked Kim, after about ten minutes.

"It's fine, so far," answered Shego, "This is a lot easier to go through than some stuff I've tackled."

"KP, should we go back and get the bomb-thingy now?" asked Ron.

"Not yet," answered Mr. Possible, "We'll save that as the last thing. What you might want to do is look around, and gather some samples for the geologists back home."

"Good idea, Dad," said Kim. "Shego, call us if you need us."

"Will do, Kim," said Shego, seemingly distracted.

Kim and Ron wandered off, looking at the ground.

Back aboard the Space Plane, Mrs. Possible sat at the telemetry console, monitoring the suits and health of those on the surface. Everything looked good, so she got and heated one of the packs of astronaut food. Rufus, seeing a chance for food, joined her.

She opened the pack, and eyed the contents. It didn't look particularly appetizing, and Rufus voiced her thought with a "yuk".

She tried to take a spoonful of what was supposed to be mashed potatos, but the grayish substance fought back, refusing to give up a piece of itself easily.

She glanced up at the readouts, and froze. All thought of food was gone, the package discarded as she tapped at keys. The results did not reassure her.

"Shego, how are you feeling?" she asked.

"I'm fine, Doc," she answered, "Getting a bit bored just standing here. Makes me wish I knew something about astronomy."

"I want you to stop drilling, now, and sit down. Kim, Ron, get back to Shego as quickly as you can," she ordered.

"On it, Mom," answered Kim, dropping the rock specimens she had collected.

"But I feel fine," protested Shego.

"What's going on?" asked Ron, dropping his collection.

"Shego, don't argue. Sit down, now," snapped Mrs. Possible.

"Okay, okay, I'm sitting," said Shego.

"I estimate they'll be back to her in two minutes," said Wade.

"Kids, when you get there, bring her back to the ship. Stay with her and watch her. She might go unconscious at any second," said Mrs. Possible.

"But I feel just fine!" protested Shego, in a louder voice.

"Maybe so, but this is no time to take chances. Follow my orders," said Mrs. Possible.

Shego subsided, muttering something.

Kim and Ron arrived back at the dig, and Shego looked up at them, an annoyed expression plain on her face. The hole she had been digging was a dark pit, the bottom invisible, but the sides were glowing faintly as the rock cooled.

Over her protests, they took her by the arms, and used their rocket packs to return to the Plane.

"I could have done that myself," she said in a growl as the cargo door closed and air filled the cabin.

"Hey, you argue with Mom about it, I was just following orders," said Kim with a grin.

The corners of Shego's mouth quirked. "Pass the buck, just like a Possible," she said, but the anger was gone.


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

"Here's the problem," said Mr. Possible, pulling a circuit board out of Shego's space suit. "Whoever wired up this board was too liberal with the solder. There are several contacts touching that shouldn't be. I can have it fixed in a jiffy."

"What does that doohickeymajig do, Mr. Dr. P?" asked Ron.

"It routs the medical data from the sensors to the computer memory," was the answer, "When these contacts cross-circuited, it made it appear that a medical crisis was approaching."

"Ooookay..." said Ron, obviously confused.

"Ron, it means that nothing was actually wrong with Shego, a bad circuit made it LOOK like there was," translated Kim.

He looked happier. "Gotcha, KP, thanks."

This news was good, after being scared that Shego was about to begin a bad session. Mrs. Possible had given her a full checkout, and found nothing wrong.

They took advantage of being back aboard ship to recharge their life support systems, take care of "business", and fight with the astronaut food.

While Shego went back to drilling, Kim and Ron found their rock specimens, and put them in the box set aside for them. When it was full, they sealed it and returned it to the Plane.

Shego drilled at two-hour intervals, resting in between. Their suits contained oxygen for six hours, but they were always back aboard well before it was used up.

Wade kept a close eye on the progress of the dig, using the sensors in the comsats and some Kim and Ron had installed on the surface. He made a few minor corrections to Shego's aim, but for the most part left her alone.

A day passed this way. The Earth slowly grew in size, but it was only noticable if you didn't look at it for a few hours.

As had happened on Earth, Shego had to concentrate and make more effort to reach the bottom of the pit as it grew deeper. Mrs. Possible kept a very close eye on Shego's medical readouts, as the mental effort was beginning to affect her physically. But so far, everything had stayed below critical.

The next day they conviened in the flight cabin on the Plane for a last review and instructions.

"Crew, you've all done a super job on this mission!" said Mr. Possible, "We'll be finished in a few hours, and on our way back home!"

There was a sigh from the crew.

"Shego, your skill with your power is to be commended," said Wade, "That tunnel is as straight as humanly possible to make it."

"Thanks, nerdlinger," said Shego, but she was smiling.

"According to sensors, about another hour's drilling will reach the center," he said.

Shego nodded. "Not a problem."

"Rest as often as you need to," said Mrs. Possible, "Your vitals look good, but..."

"You're the doctor," interrupted Shego.

"Okay, then, you need to finish the job, while Ronald and Kimberly take the device down to the surface, and get it ready to go," said Mr. Possible.

Half an hour later, Shego led the way back to the surface, while Ron and Kim held the nuclear bomb by the handles on the packing crate behind her.

As Shego continued to drill, they opened the crate, and looked at the bomb. It was a squat device, about the size of a cannister vacuum cleaner. On top were controls that were dead except for a single green light.

Carefully they lifted it from the crate, and set it aside.

"Ready to go, Captain," reported Ron.

"Good work. Wade, how much longer on the tunnel?" said Mr. Possible.

"I make it... half an hour, tops," answered Wade. "Guys, can you do me a favor?"

"Sure, Wade, what's the sitch?" said Kim.

"One of the comsats has picked up a spot on the surface that is radiating soft x-rays. I can't see what's causing it, and it is unusual. Could you go and take a look?" he asked.

"No big," said Kim.

"Thanks. I'll guide you there, and make sure you're back in plenty of time," answered Wade.

"Good enough. Let's go, Ron," said Kim, grabbing her best friend by the space suited arm. "See you soon, Shego," she said.

"You get to have all the fun," said Shego, glancing at them while continuing to send her green energy downward.

Twenty-three minutes later, Wade called a halt to the digging. She had reached the center of the asteroid. Kim and Ron were on the way back, also unable to find any cause for the x-ray emission, though they confirmed it was actually there.

Shego stretched as well as she could in the suit, then sat down to wait for them. She was tired, but actually felt good. She found it a strange way to be.

A few minutes later, Ron and Kim came over the horizon, walking slowly so they wouldn't end up in orbit.

"Okay, let's get this bad boy into the-" said Ron. "Shego, did you already put the bomb in the hole?

"What? No, I haven't touched it," she answered, standing up.

"Then where is it?" asked Kim.

"How should I know? I thought it was where you left it," said Shego.

"It WAS right here," said Ron, pointing to a spot by the crate.

"Well, it couldn't have just flown away, let's look for it," said Kim.

"Don't bother, guys," said Wade, "I've found it."

"Well, where is it?" asked Mr. Possible.

"It did fly away. It's about two kilometers from the asteroid, and moving away fast," said Wade.

"We'd better go catch it, Ron," said Kim, and got ready to fire up her backpack.

"No, Kim, don't!" said Wade.

"Why? We need that thing!" said Kim.

"Two reasons. One, it's moving faster than your pack can fly, and two, it's leaking radiation," he answered. They heard the sound of his keyboard. "Way too much radiation to be safely handled. I think a meteor hit and took the bomb with it, doing a lot of damage to it at the same time. Even if you could catch it, it would be useless for what we need now."

"Well, we'd better go get the spare," said Ron.

"There is no spare, Ronald," said Mr. Possible.

Silence fell over the radio, as the implications of that statement sunk in.

"I'm afraid our mission has failed. Civilization is doomed," said Mr. Possible.

"Well, that tanks," said Ron, kicking at the ground. His foot slipped on a pebble, and he found himself launched into space from the kick.

"Yeow!" he yelled, flailing around as momentum carried him upward.

"Ron, get hold of yourself. Use your backpack to come back down," Kim said.

"Oh, right, KP, thanks," he replied. He tapped the control, and the backpack fired up. Unfortunately, he failed to upright himself first, and found himself driven back down to the ground. He hit hard, scraping along the sharp-edged ridges until he turned off the thrust and came to rest.

Kim and Shego hurried to him, and helped him up.

"Ron, your suit is leaking air," said Mrs. Possible, "You need to get back quickly."

"Ohhh..." said Ron, stunned from the landing.

Kim grabbed him, and pulled him to her. She fired up her own backpack, and launched toward the Plane. "C'mon, Shego," she said over her shoulder.

"Be right there," was the reply.

Kim thought no more of it, being concerned with Ron's well-being. They cycled through the airlock, and Kim helped get Ron out of his suit. He was strapped to an exam table, with Kim hovering anxiously nearby.

Mrs. Possible gave Ron an injection, and seemed pleased with the medical readouts. "He'll be fine, dear," she said, "Why don't you get comfortable? It will be a few minutes before he wakes up."

Kim went and took off her space suit, putting it carefully back where it belonged. When she got back to the table, Ron was sitting up, albeit with a dizzy expression.

"RON! YOU'RE OKAY!" shouted Kim, hugging him tightly. Rufus was on Ron's shoulder, hugging him as well.

"Yeah, KP. Thanks for the rescue," he said, smiling.

"No big," said Kim. Then she looked around. "Where's Shego?"

"Still on the surface," answered Wade.

"Shego, what are you doing down there? Come on back," said Kim.

"No, Kim. This thing has to be destroyed, and we have only one chance at that now," she answered.

"What chance?" asked Kim, an icy feeling growing in her stomach.

"Me. I'm going to use my power to destroy the asteroid," she said.


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

"What? No! It's too dangerous! Come back to the ship!" said Kim.

"Sorry, can't do that. But don't worry. I'll blow this thing into a billion pieces, and be back for dinner," she said.

Over the comlink they heard Wade's keyboard click.

"Shego, if your glow isn't strong enough, the tunnel will collapse with you in it," said Wade.

"Then let's hope it's strong enough," she replied.

"Don't do this!" pleaded Kim.

"Really, Kim, we don't have a choice, now," answered Shego.

"But you could die!" said Kim, desperation plain in her voice.

Shego snorted. "Die now, as opposed to in a few days when the intact asteroid hits the earth, or in a few months anyway? Sorry, Kimmie, but I've been given the chance to meet my fate head on, and on my terms. I'm taking it."

"Shego, you still work for me. Get out of there now!" said Kim.

"I guess I have to break the contract, then," replied Shego.

"Mom, Dad, talk her out of this!" Kim said, turning to her parents.

The Doctors Possible looked unhappy. "Sorry, Kimmie-cub, but she's right. This is the world's last chance," said Mr. Possible.

"I agree with your father and Shego, Kim," said Mrs. Possible, "But I don't like it any more than you do."

"Ron!" said Kim, turning to her best friend.

"Uh... Kim... she's right," said Ron, with his face red and a somber expression.

Suddenly Kim's face hardened. "At least help me get my suit back on, so I can go help her."

"Wouldn't advise that, Kim," came Shego's voice, "I figured you would feel like that, so while you were helping Ron, I 'got creative' with your suit. By the time you find and fix what I did, it will be over, one way or the other."

Kim turned and plastered her face against a porthole facing the asteroid. "No..." she wailed.

A green spark appeared on the surface. "Whew! I haven't made my glow appear over my entire body in a long time," said Shego. "Here I go..." The spark disappeared when she jumped into the hole.

"Shego, I promised you wouldn't be alone! I promised!" said Kim, voice quavering.

"I know, Kim, I remember," said Shego, gently, "And I'm not alone. I can hear your voice, and I know you're with me."

Tears appeared in Kim's eyes, and she turned away from the porthole. "Shego..."

Kim started crying in earnest, then, and Ron took her in his arms, trying to comfort her. She clung to him, body shaking, as she got his coverall wet.

"Kim, don't cry. Talk to me. Be with me. I need you," she said.

"O-okay," she said, sniffling, and pulled away from Ron.

"W-what's it like down there?" asked Kim, still holding Ron.

"Can't really see much. The walls are smooth glass that sparkles at times, but nothing else," she replied.

"Shego, I'm still getting readings from your suit," said Mrs. Possible, "I'll monitor for as long as I can and let you know if anything happens."

"Gotcha, thanks, Doc," said Shego.

"Shego, I want you to know that, succeed or fail, what you're doing will not be forgotten," said Mr. Possible.

"I appreciate that," she answered, then said "Thanks, Kim."

"For what?" asked Kim, tears in her eyes.

"For being you. For not hating me. For giving me a chance. For being my friend when I needed one. For showing me that my cynicism about the world is misplaced, and that it is worth saving, at least, as much as we can save," she said.

"No big," said Kim, smiling a sad smile.

"Maybe not to you, but it is to me. I would say I regret all our fights, but I don't, because you gave me a goal, and a reason to train and stay fit. I wish we could have been friends years ago, when I still had time, instead of... now," was the reply.

"Me too," said Kim, sadly.

There was a pause. "Wade, how much farther to the bottom?"

"You're nearly halfway there," he answered.

Kim took a deep breath. "Shego, you're right. This is the only way. I was being selfish, thinking only of myself losing a friend, not the people back home who stand to lose their lives. But I wish it wasn't the only way."

"Me too. But who knows, I might still survive this," said Shego.

"The odds are..." interrupted Wade.

"As a wise man once said," interrupted Shego, "Never tell me the odds."

"Shego, I... I want you to know that I've come to value, no, treasure your friendship. I will never forget the time we had not fighting. Or the time we spent fighting, either. I truely wish things had been different between us. I will never forget you," said Kim.

"Thanks, Kim. I'm glad we're friends now, too. It means a lot to me for you to tell me that. Wade, how much farther?" said Shego.

"Nearly there, about a hundred feet to go," said Wade.

"...I'm down," said Shego.

At the bottom of the shaft, Shego looked up. A lone star could be seen far above, watching her with an unblinking stare. Her green glow reflected off the glassine walls, returning distorted reflections of herself.

"I'm starting now," she said, "Goodbye, everyone. Oh, and Kim, I didn't do anything to your suit. I just wanted to make sure you couldn't stop me."

"WHAT!" came the outraged response.

"My one victory over you. Now let me concentrate," she said.

Her glow became brighter, and she began pushing it against the walls. She could feel the rock resist her efforts, so she heated it up, and the sides nearest her began to melt and become vapor. It seemed to be working.

Aboard the Space Plane, everyone except Mrs. Possible was at the main window watching the asteroid. She was watching the medical readouts.

"Reading an energy spike at the center," Wade reported, "Also an increase in temperature."

As minutes passed, the only sound was Shego's breathing, which became more labored the longer she worked.

"Shego, stop and rest," said Mrs. Possible, "Some of your vitals are nearing critical."

"Can't -pant- stop -pant- now, nearly there," said Shego, "I can tell." She took a deep breath. "Ahhhhaaaaa!" The strain was incredible, but she knew she could do this. She had to back up her boasting.

"Something's happening, can't tell what, just yet," said Wade.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH-*" came from the speakers.

"I just lost her suit," said Mrs. Possible, fingers flying over the keyboard.

"SHEGO!" yelled Kim. "Can you hear me? Shego! Respond!"

There was nothing.

"Ron, help me get into my suit!" Kim shouted, grabbing him by the arm.

"Wait!" said Mr. Possible, "Look at that!"

They looked, but at first, all they saw was the asteroid. Then suddenly, it seemed to expand in all directions at once. Green light welled out of cracks, growing brighter with each passing second. The asteroid continued to expand, the light becoming emerald in color, and brighter as it did so.

"She's still alive, she HAS to be," thought Kim.

Suddenly the green got brighter, and they had to shield their eyes from it. The glow covered the dark mass of rock, hiding it completely. Then it suddenly died.

"Shego!" shouted Kim, to no avail.

"Come on, Ron!" said Kim, and turned to the cargo bay.

"There's no time!" said Wade, "Mr. Possible, you have to get the Plane out of there! Asteroid debris will be where you are in five minutes!"

"I have to save Shego!" protested Kim, as her father dived for the controls.

"You can't," said Wade, "Even if you had time to suit up, her space suit was probably destroyed by her power when her signal was lost. She would be dead of exposure to space long before you could find her."

"No...!" wailed Kim, inconsolable. "I can't fail her! I'm Kim Possible! I can do anything!" She fell into Ron's arms. "I can do anything..."

"Not this time. I'm sorry, Kim," said Wade.

Ron and Mrs. Possible took Kim and strapped her to her seat. Kim paid no attention, crying into a small towel her mom had handed her.

Everyone secure, the Plane's engines fired up, and moved them away, back towards the blue and white ball they called home.

Behind them, the rubble of a once-proud asteroid continued to expand into space.

An hour later, Wade called. "Guys, my analysis shows it worked. Shego's power broke up the asteroid into small pieces. The largest I can find is about the size of a softball. She also changed the orbit of a lot of it, so it will miss earth this time. Looks like we have a new meteor shower."

The good news did little to dispel the somber mood aboard the Plane. Mrs. Possible finally had to give Kim a pill to calm her down.

"We'll be back on the ground tomorrow," said Mr. Possible. There was no response from the rest of the crew.


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19

The Space Plane arrived at the Middleton Space Center without mishap. Mr. and Mrs. Stoppable were there to greet them, along with Nana, Jim and Tim.

As technicians looked over the plane and removed the samples and other gear, everyone went to the main building, and back to the conference room. Ron stayed with Kim, steadying her with an arm around her shoulders. Tears would occasionally fall from emerald green eyes, and she dabbed at them with the towel. Thompson and Young were waiting for them.

"Congratulations are in order for a job well done," said Thompson without preamble. "We are here to fill you in with regard to the government's stand on events."

He opened his briefcase and pulled out some papers. "Since your efforts resulted in removal of the threat, rather than just the reduction of it, the official position is that there never was any threat."

Kim dabbed her eyes. "I have a question," she said, and the agent looked at her.

"What about Shego? She destroyed the asteroid, and lost her life doing it. She deserves something for saving the world," said Kim.

The man picked up some different papers.

"Ah, yes, Shego..." he said, glancing through them. "You'll be happy to know that the negotiations with the countries where she was wanted were successful. All charges against her have been dropped, and her record in the U.S. wiped clean as well.

The official story is that she went with you, and was lost when her space suit malfunctioned. Team Go has already been informed, and I understand they are planning a private funeral."

"That's it? No medal? No parade?" asked Kim, her face darkening, tears threatening to fall again.

"Sorry. This was a secret operation," he replied.

"I can't believe this," muttered Kim.

"I really don't like this," said Wade.

"Let me make it clear. Shego was the hero. She saved the world. I think she deserves some recognition for it," said Kim.

"Look. I understand. I really do. And I agree with you. She was a better person than reports made her seem. But we've done what we can for her," he said. He looked around the room. "If there's nothing else...?"

The crew looked at each other, but said nothing.

Thompson stood up, as did his silent partner. He put away the papers, and closed the briefcase. "Then I will bid you all good day. Congratulations, once again," he said, and they left the room.

Wade signed off with an angry expression.

There was a long silence, then Mr. Possible said, "Well, let's go. After days with that astronaut food, I want a real meal."

There was more enthusiasm for that idea. So they went to the locker room and changed clothes. Kim opened Shego's locker, and retrieved her jumpsuit, gloves, and boots, crying all the while.

A day later, the debris from the asteroid arrived, resulting in the most spectacular meteor shower in hundreds of years. But no one at the Possible residence could bear to watch it. Ron came over and stayed with Kim, comforting her as he could.

Two days later, Ron and Kim attended the funeral for Shego held by her brothers. At the graveside she told them of their sister's heroics, and that she had saved the world.

Eventually they had a life-sized statue of her in her jumpsuit put up by the grave. The plaque read: "Shego: Sister, Hero, Villain, Friend, World-Saver".

A week later, the Possibles and Stoppables were summoned to a lawyer's office. Once seated, Mr. Howe, of Dewey, Cheatham, and Howe, got to the point.

"I represent the interests of the person you know as Shego," he said, "I asked you here today because you are the beneficiaries of her estate."

They all looked at each other, then back at Mr. Howe.

"Unless you just want to hear it, I'm going to skip the legalese, and give you the bottom line," he said and paused. No one said anything.

"I've been instructed to tell you that Team Go and her family are expressly excluded from receiving any benefit whatsoever. Also that all the money comes from legal sources.

Shego's cash assets totaled some 120 million dollars. 50 million of that is to go to Middleton General Hospital, to be used for research at the discretion of Mrs. Possible. Another 50 million goes to the Middleton Space Center, to be used for research at the discretion of Mr. Possible. Of the remainder, 10 million each go to James and Timothy Possible, to be held in trust by their parents until they reach eighteen. Part of that money is to be used to finance their college education.

That takes care of the liquid assets..."

Kimberly Ann Possible and Ronald Dean Stoppable, she has left to you her investments. Control of them will be given you when you reach eighteen, but you will start receiving dividend checks next month. Some of this money will be used for your college education, and some of it to finance the operations of Team Possible."

"How much is it worth?" asked Kim, visibly shaken.

"Well, if you were to liquidate it all now..." said Mr. Howe picking up some other papers and studying them, "It would be worth in the neighborhood of... oh, three hundred eighty million."

There was a long, stunned silence.

Kim and Ron looked at each other. He slowly recovered his trademark goofy grin, and raised his fist. "BOOYAH!"

Kim raised her eyes to the ceiling. "Thanks, Shego," she said quietly.


	20. Epilog

Epilog

A year passed.

On the anniversary of destroying the asteroid, Kim and Ron, now engaged to be married, watched the meteor shower while lying on a blanket in Kim's back yard. Kim had her head propped up on Ron's arm, while Rufus rummaged through the snackage.

For several hours they watched, saying little, as meteor after meteor flashed into visibility and was quickly gone.

Kim suddenly sniffed, and Ron looked at her. "Nickel for your thoughts?" he said.

KIm glanced at him. "Nickel? I thought it was a penny."

Ron grinned. "Inflation."

Kim smiled. "I was just... thinking."

"About Shego?" he asked.

She nodded. "It just isn't fair. She sacrificed her life to save the world, and what does she get for it? Instead of a parade, and a medal, and a state funeral, it's a pardon in a file that will probably never see the light of day."

"Yeah, you're right. It makes me feel bad too. I don't think she would have appreciated the parade and funeral, though. It would damage her evil reputation," said Ron.

Kim grinned. "You're probably right," she agreed, "But I still think she deserves some kind of tribute."

They fell silent, watching Nature's fireworks blaze across the skies.

Then, out of nowhere, Ron said, "You know, this kinda reminds me of life. You appear, zoom through existance making your mark, then you're gone."

Kim looked up at him in surprise. "Ron, that's actually very profound. Do you have a fever?" She put her hand on his forehead.

"Naw," he answered, smiling, "But I was wondering which one of those meteors is Shego."

Unexpectedly, they got an answer. A bright, emerald green meteor appeared, putting the others to shame. It travelled across the sky, cutting through the paths of others, and disappeared in a blaze of green glory, and a bang.

Tears appeared in the eyes of the young couple, and their hand sought for the other's. They grasped them together, tightly. Then through their tears, they smiled.

As a tribute, it would do.

The End


End file.
